Things I Don't Say
by CheeryBroody83
Summary: Everything changed the day he made the Ravens Varsity squad.  Now an unlikely friend helps guide him through the new world he's entered, complete with fights, lots of alcohol and a legendary hazing that no one talks about. Brucas
1. Into the Fire

**Disclaimer: **_I own absolutely nothing that you recognize._**  
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**Summary:**_ Everything changed the day he made the Ravens Varsity squad. Now an unlikely friend helps guide him through the new world he's entered, complete with fights, lots of alcohol and a legendary hazing that no one talks aboutMajor Brucas! Some LP mentioned but nothing graphic as well as some NP._

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**Chapter 1 - Into the Fire**

_Come on, come on _

_Put your hands into the fire _

_Explain, explain _

_As I turn and meet the power _

_This time, this time _

_Turning white and senses dire _

_Pull up, pull up _

_From one extreme to another _

The first time Lucas Scott walked through the halls of Tree Hill High had been two years before. His best friend, Haley James had stood by his side, watching as students walked past in their effort to find either a locker or the first class on their schedule. But after a few uncertain glances exchanged, the two put one foot in front of the other and became no exception. Each easily blended in with all the other incoming freshman who had no clue where they were headed or what lay ahead of them.

His brother Nathan, on the other hand, was truly hard to miss.

Overly confident by nature, the tall and dark haired boy could back up whatever claims he made on the basketball court. A natural by most people's standards, there wasn't anyone on the school's team that was better than the youngest Scott. That was of course… except for his brother, Lucas. Yet Lucas didn't play for the Ravens. He didn't show anyone the talent he possessed, save for five friends he spent time with down at Tree Hill's Rivercourt. An out of the way slab of concrete with rusted metal hoops and a row of weather worn wooden benches.

It was there, in obscurity, that Lucas Scott played the game he had grown up loving. There he felt no pressure to be the best, though he undoubtedly was. There he was free to enjoy it all, laughing and talking amongst the other misfits in his year. Boys who were neither popular nor outcasts. Friends who simply preferred to spend time with each other rather than vying for the attention of some popular clique member that would smile one day and laugh at their face the next.

Only Lucas couldn't quite stay put in the caste he'd been placed in. A crush on a popular curly haired blonde cheerleader ensured that he would never be entirely satisfied with the life he led. Yet he knew he could never have her. She was his brother's girl and interfering with it would be inviting trouble he didn't need or want.

_"She loves him, you know,_" Brooke Davis had once said. As the captain of the cheer squad, and a beautiful girl in her own right, she was also known as the most popular of them all. A snap of her fingers would ensure that at least ten guys would be gathered around her, waiting for whatever instruction she handed out. A fact that he'd rarely ever seen her exploit, despite the myriad of unfavorable rumors circling around school about her since she first walked through the doors two years before. "_They have their song and dance down. Break up, make up and then do it all over again. But at the end of the day, no matter what he's said or done… she still loves him."_

That had been four months before at an end of school party hosted by his brother's side-kick, the foot in mouth king himself, Tim.

After that night it had taken several weeks before Lucas got the opportunity to ask the queen bee what her comment had been all about. But the answer she gave him had not been what he expected and made Lucas wonder why he had given her so little credit up until then.

"_I see you looking at her,"_ Brooke had declared in response, kinking one perfectly shaped eyebrow. It was almost as if she was daring Lucas to refute her claim. To make some excuse as to why she'd caught him looking at her best friend, Peyton that night._ "I know you like her, not that I blame you. She's a great person. But she's with Nathan and putting her in between the two of you isn't fair."_

_"I'm not trying to do anything,"_ Lucas had been quick to deny.

"_Not that any girl wouldn't mind having the Scott brothers vying for her attention, but… I'm just trying to look out for my friend. It's no offense against you,"_ she said, despite the fact that she hardly knew the elder Scott brother at all. "_See you around, superstar_," she added and walked out of his mother's café with the brownie she'd ordered after first stepping up to the counter.

Since then, Lucas had heeded her advice and stayed a safe distance away from Peyton Sawyer. The least cheeriest cheerleader on the squad and Brooke Davis' long time best friend.

Little did Lucas know that everything was about to change. He was about to venture into a world he had only ever glanced into from the outside. A world that was the norm for people like Brooke and his brother Nathan. Something he had no desire to be a part of until he got so deep in that there was only one person to guide him through it.

An unlikely ally who made it all worthwhile.

-----

"Please tell me Bevin's just bleached her hair so many times now that the peroxide is playing tricks with her brain cells and that you aren't _actually _trying out for the Tree Hill Ravens."

Uneasiness rolling off her in spades, the short brunette looked down at her best friend expectantly. "Hello to you too, Hales," Lucas greeted as he glanced up from his book, decidedly immune to the stern expression of hers that he'd grown accustomed to over the years. "How was your day?" he asked calmly. A little too calmly for Haley as she glared with brown eyes in frustration.

"Luke, If you don't answer me in the next few seconds, I'll have no other choice but to beat it out of you," Haley threatened. "Again."

"Okay first of all, we were ten when that happened and you were taller than me," Lucas quickly pointed out as he stood up from his bed, towering above the much shorter girl for emphasis. "And second… no, there's nothing wrong with Bevin's brain cells. At least not about this," he amended. "But I'm not going to try out… I already did. This afternoon in fact."

Ignoring the hurt she felt about finding it all out from Bevin instead of her best friend, Haley curbed the impulse to frown again and instead asked, "Well what happened? Did you make it or… not?"

His impassive expression curved up into a smile as he nodded. "I guess you're gonna have to start going to games now, Hales."

Despite the shock of it all, Haley knew enough by the smile on her friend's face that he was obviously happy about his decision. It was why she put aside her own reservations before wrapping her arms around him in a brief hug. "Congratulations, Luke. I... wow. A Raven, huh?" She tried to be happy for him, smiling on the outside while inside she was full of uncertainties. Specifically… how his mother was going to take the news.

"Look, I know it seems out of left field but the Ravens lost a player and… I don't know. Between Skillz and Keith, I just decided to go for it. Why not, you know?" Lucas shrugged as the first doubts began to set in.

"Nathan's gonna blow a gasket when he finds out," Haley declared bluntly before a contrite look graced features. "Sorry."

"Lucas, do you have the… oh hi, Haley. I didn't know you were here," greeted Karen Roe, a short brunette in her mid-thirties who wore an apron around her waist and held a dishtowel in her hand. "I'm making spaghetti for dinner if you want to stay," she said to her son's friend before looking at the tall blonde teenager who had been her whole world for sixteen years. "Lucas, I was looking for the cordless phone. I need to call Keith and I don't want drag the phone cord around while I cook. Do you have it?" Karen asked, glancing up at him expectantly.

"Coffee table," Lucas informed and waited until the door was closed behind his mother before returning his attention to Haley. "Actually I'm more worried about what _she's_ gonna say than I am about what Nathan thinks," he admitted, hoping that his uncle Keith would make good on his claim to smooth things over with Karen. As his biggest supporter and her best friend, if there was anyone who could do it, it would be Keith Scott.

"I'm sure she'll be okay," Haley said though she could hardly believe it herself.

Basketball had been her Dan Scott's mistress when Karen first found out she was pregnant with Lucas. It was just a game, but he chose it over his son and Karen had never quit despising it since. An oddity considering how much time her Lucas spent on the court. "Yeah… piece of cake," Lucas murmured as he too found it hard to believe that everything would just fall into place.

-----

"So word around the halls is that you're Tree Hill's newest shooting guard." Lucas wasn't at all surprised that news of his basketball status had spread around school already. What did surprise him was that Brooke Davis was the one leaning against the nearest locker, peering up at him curiously.

Since that summer day in June, the two hadn't exchanged more than a few casual words. Mostly it was a nod on Brooke's side, sometimes a smile or a wave. "If that's what the gossip mill says then it must be true," he said with a small smile and a hint of dryness in his words, causing the feisty brunette to laugh softly.

"Basketball skills and a sense of humor. Who would have thought?" she asked while Haley saddled up to his other side, unaware that he already had company. "Hey tutorgirl," Brooke cut in as Haley began a frustrated tirade involving Tim and some cheesy pick-up line he'd used on her for third time that week. "Later, superstar"

With a grin in their direction, Brooke pushed off the lockers and sauntered down the hallway. Low riding jeans and a tight shirt that ended just above her waistband garnered the attention of every available male in the vicinity. Yet she never turned around once or acknowledge anyone beside the random cheerleader or friend she encountered along the way.

"You know Brooke?" Lucas asked at the same time Haley said, "Don't tell me it's already starting."

"Wait… what?"

"Starting. As in now you're one of them and your life is no longer your own," Haley elaborated with a pointed glance at the cheerleaders who stared at Lucas before turning to whisper behind their hands. Giggles drifted across the corridor, causing Haley to roll her eyes at them. Cheer sluts, as she so fondly referred to them as. "Or hadn't you noticed the way they all hiked their skirts a few inches higher while your back was turned?"

"Actually… I hadn't," Lucas informed, momentarily forgetting his own question as the warning bell sounded. "Later, Hales."

"Later, superstar," Haley mimicked once her friend was out of earshot.

And it was only the beginning.


	2. Get What I Want

**A/N:** _Hello everyone! First I want to say thanks for the welcome reviews and I'm glad several of you are enjoying this so far. It's actually my first OTH fic so I was a bit nervous and still am a little but thanks again! I hope you keep enjoying it._

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**Chapter 2 - Please, Let Me Get What I Want  
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_Good times for a change_

_See, the luck I've had_

_Can make a good man_

_Turn bad_

"I don't even really know him and already I hate him," Peyton Sawyer groaned later that day at lunch. Frustrated, she pushed away a stray curl that the wind had rustled loose before looking over at her best friend. "Since yesterday after school, all Nathan's been doing is bitching and moaning about how jealous his brother is because of Nate's place on the team and how royally pissed off their dad is."

As her tall, blonde haired friend mentioned the illegitimate Scott, Brooke couldn't help casting a sympathetic glance in his direction.

If anyone knew what it felt like to be rejected by their parents, it was Brooke Davis. "Maybe, but that's pretty harsh, even by your standards P Sawyer. Plus you can hardly blame him for wanting to step into the spotlight," Brooke quietly defended, knowing as well as Peyton did that Lucas Scott was set to pay big for his decision to join the team. She hardly thought it was fair to pile even more on him what with Nathan's initiation of choice. "Besides, Nate'll get over it," she added, waving the whole thing away. "It's not like they play the same position or anything."

"Yeah, you really think that'll matter once Dan starts putting a little pressure on Nate to freeze out the new recruit?" Peyton quizzed pointedly. "And speaking of… what's your deal with him anyway?" the blonde asked after glancing towards the older Scott as he sat down with some brown haired girl a few tables over. Each had a book in front of them, peering down at it every once in a while and in between sentences to each other. "Any time someone says something about him, not a minute passes before you jump to his defense," Peyton reminded. "So what is it? Did you sleep with him at some point and now feel guilty about leaving in the middle of the night or something?"

Rolling her eyes, Brooke gathered her bag and slung the single strap over her shoulder. It was powder blue and sparkled, much like the cute little convertible she drove. "Real tactful P Sawyer. And thanks for reminding me that everyone in this school thinks I'm slut," she bit back and disappeared before her friend could utter an apology for the poorly aimed joke.

"Are you still crushing on her?" Haley asked when she saw Lucas staring at Peyton Sawyer's table.

"Crushing on who?" Tim Smith asked after stumbling over to Lucas and Haley.

"What… do you have dog ears or something? You can't walk more than five steps without bumping into someone but you heard our conversation perfectly," Haley stated with a frown. Irritated about being interrupted coupled with her frustration over his usual stream of constant come-ons had Haley acting less friendlier than usual. Unfortunately, that put the unsuspecting basketball player on the receiving end of her ire.

"What do dogs have to do with this?" Tim asked before shaking his head, deciding there were other things to talk about that were far more important. "Hey, Scott… you gonna make it to my party tonight? The whole team's gonna be there," he informed while further down the quad, Nathan and a few other guys from the team stood watching with smirks on their faces.

"Uh… not really my thing," Lucas declined after a prodding look from Haley.

The one party he attended the summer before had been more than enough. It gave him his first taste of life in the fast line and Lucas couldn't help but think it was as clichéd as every teen movie he'd ever seen. "Oh come on. Don't you believe in team unity and crap like that?" Tim questioned. "The team that parties together, plays together."

His cajoling meant very little. Lucas was aware that the other male was talking out of his ass, making things up in order to persuade Lucas to attend. What he didn't understand was why. It couldn't just be that he was now on the team. Especially since Tim was Nathan's best friend and most likely well aware of the little battle his younger brother seemed so determined to wage against him.

"Well?"

Uncertainty at the forefront of his thoughts, Lucas was a heartbeat away from declining again when a blur of blonde swiftly walked into his line of sight. She seemed to be in a hurry as she sped into the building carrying a couple of textbooks and a black bag that had a Fall Out Boy patch sewn onto one of the flaps.

As a cheerleader and Nathan's girlfriend, Lucas realized that Peyton was sure to be in attendance. After all, wasn't that what high school couples did? Among other things at least, didn't they go to beer bashes on Friday nights together? "Alright. I'll be there," Lucas agreed, much to Haley's chagrin and Tim's excitement.

For months he had abided by Brooke's warning but recently he'd seen more than his share of fights between Nathan and Peyton. Public displays of anger were a regular occurrence and it was obvious that neither minded fighting in front of a crowd. So he couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe she was getting tired of the bickering. Maybe she was getting tired of his brother.

"Seriously, Luke?"

With Tim gone and Haley looking at him with disappointment, Lucas was left with a loss of words.

Her ranting the night before made Lucas more than aware of how his friend felt about the addition to his after school schedule. Not that Haley wasn't proud of him. She was just wary of the Tree Hill athletes as a whole. Few were ever nice or decent save for the random exception here and there. Namely Jake Jagielski who never partied with the team because he had an infant daughter at home to take care of.

"The team that parties together, plays together," Lucas parroted with shrug when he couldn't find anything better to say.

-----

A typical Tree Hill party usually consisted of a big house, lots of booze, the most popular kids in school and most importantly, no parents. That was why Tim's place was the perfect candidate that night. With his dad and step-mother away on their annual pilgrimage to Vegas, their house would be empty for the entire weekend. If all went well, the party would drift into Sunday before everyone would finally go home to nurse their hangovers and sleep off their exhaustion in time for school on Monday.

At least that was what usually happened.

"We all set?" Nathan asked two of his buddies as they spied Lucas walking through the front door.

Dressed in a pair of jeans and a button down shirt with the tales tucked out and the sleeves rolled up, he easily blended in with the other party goers. The only thing that set him apart was the expression on his face. A look of uncertainty that came from being alone in a new setting. One that was entirely different than the quiet existence he was used to.

"All set."

To begin the initiation of their newest player and with any luck, drive him completely away from the game… Nathan and his friends had planned a little prank. First they'd spike his drink and once he was sufficiently drunk enough they planned to drive out into the woods, take his clothes and leave him out there to fend for himself.

Not their most original idea but they were aiming to embarrass rather than hurt.

"Let's do it," Nathan said and nodded towards Theresa, a cheerleader that had agreed to be their bait.

"Drinks are in the kitchen and the keg's out on the deck," Theresa said and placed one hand on Lucas' chest, leaning up so that he could hear her over the noises in the room. Mostly it was loud music blasting from the surround sound speakers but some of it was cheering coming from the corner where a group of players and cheerleaders were locked in an interesting game of strip poker. "How about you come out with me. It's kind of cold out there," she propositioned, pouting with puppy dog eyes as she looked up. Yet surprisingly, at least to her, Lucas wasn't at all impressed.

"No thanks," he politely declined and attempted to walk away when she made a grab for his arm.

"Please?"

"God this party's boring," a new voice added. Clad in a skimpy black shirt and a pair of tight fitting jeans, Peyton Sawyer spoke to her fellow cheerleader, unaware that the plan had already begun. "_And_ this music sucks. I doubt Tim has a single decent CD in his collection," she declared, only realizing that Lucas was standing by her when someone knocked her into him by mistake. "It's okay. I'm fine!" she called out sarcastically to the culprit's retreating back. "You can let go of me now," she added pointedly as Lucas had yet to remove his hands from around her arms.

"I'm gonna get a drink. Theresa… you coming?" she invited, unknowingly helping to sway the new basketball player into accompanying them outside.

"Only if Lucas will," she grinned flirtatiously.

"Well?"

It was hardly a difficult decision as Lucas realized it may be his only shot at spending any time alone with Peyton. At least, alone without Nathan around. Something that would undoubtedly piss off his younger brother if he knew. "Uh… lead the way," he agreed, if not a little hastily.

"Excellent," Theresa declared and linked her arm with Lucas' while Peyton rolled her eyes behind them.

Nearby, Brooke set five cards down, revealing a full house. "Read em and weep and baby. Full boat. Aces over kings," she gloated and looked around at the scantily clad players. "Alright boys and girls. Strip!" A happy grin adorned her lips as she leaned back expectantly, waiting for their compliance.

"Well _I_ think you're cheating," Bevin declared with a slightly slurred voice while another one of the cheerleaders grumbled in agreement.

"Don't be a sore loser. It's so not attractive," Brooke responded, unaffected.

While the others were mostly down to their underwear, Brooke had only lost her high heeled shoes. Something she accredited to the card games she used to play when she was a kid with their maid's oldest son. Brooke also supposed it also helped that in this rare occasion she was the least drunk at the table.

The few glasses of vodka and cranberry juice she drank were enough to create a nice little buzz as opposed to Bevin and the other girls who were only upright because of the chairs they sat on.

-----

An hour into the party and Lucas was swaying where he stood. Everything seemed out of focus as he squinted and rubbed his eyes, hoping to clear away some of the fog. "What'd you have Tim put inside his beer anyway?" Peyton inquired after the second time Lucas tripped on his way inside the house.

"Who knows?" Nathan shrugged, unconcerned. "We just grabbed whatever we could find in my mom's medicine cabinet. It's probably just aspirin or something," he said and watched from a safe distance as his brother bumped into one of their teammates. A small grin adorned his lips as he noticed that everything was going according to plan.

"Well that was dumb," Peyton informed with her arms crossed over her chest, clearly unimpressed. Her words, while not yelled, were biting enough to steal Nathan's attention back. "You _do_ know how to read don't you? How hard could it have been to check the label?" she asked, holding in a groan as she saw her boyfriend's eyes narrow suspiciously. "What Nathan? What?" she demanded, irritated.

"What the hell do you care what happens to him?" he all but yelled.

A light breeze that had chilled the temperature several degrees had also blown a few strands of hair into Peyton's face. Her angered and slightly shaking hand rose to push them back but Nathan beat her to the punch, gently tucking the stray curls behind her ears. "I care about _you_," Peyton answered, momentarily halted by his sweet gesture. Another rarity of the night and a stark contrast to the harsh tone he had used in his last words. "If something bad happens to him, he could point the finger at you and then where would you be?"

Shaking his head, Nathan wished Peyton could understand. "Whatever happens, my dad'll get me out, okay? He cares a whole hell of lot more about what happens to me than he does about _him_." Something that was so entirely truthful, it was almost sad. As far as Dan Scott was concerned, he only had one son and would support whatever Nathan did if it meant embarrassing Lucas in the process.

"I just don't want you to do something you'll end up regretting later," Peyton shrugged and shook her head sadly.

"Hey." He ran the tip of his finger beneath her chin, gently urging her to meet his gaze. "It'll be fine," he assured and pulled her into his warm embrace.

Back inside, Lucas continued to fumble along, unbeknownst to what was about to happen.


	3. Life is Short

**A/N:** _Well since I have several chapters of this already written out, I figured there was no harm in posting twice in a day. Especially since I can tell from some of your reviews that you're a little unhappy with the direction of this fic so far. So to clear a few things up... this is 100 a Brucas story. I am absolutely anti-leyton!!! But since I wanted to start it off like the show and then take it in my own direction, I had Lucas crushing on Peyton a little but at no point in this fic will the two of them ever be together, I assure you. _

_ As for when Lucas and Brooke get together, it's still a few chapters in but it'll definitely happen. I'm just setting up the general premise of the story for now. So please just stick with me and try to ignore Lucas whenever he thinks anything about Peyton. There won't be too much more of it from this point on anyway. I'll should also be able to post at least once a day since, like I said, I have a lot of the story already written out. I hope you enjoy!  
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**Chapter 3 - Life is Short**

_Oh I am young but I have aged_

_Waited long to seize the day_

_All things said and plenty done_

_Life is short_

Down at Karen's Café, Haley James emitted a bored sigh as she wiped down the counter. Only two customers continued to sit inside, a sweet elderly couple who sipped on mugs of coffee while Haley and Karen chatted idly. "So what do you think about the whole basketball thing? Bad flashbacks?" Haley queried, belatedly realizing how callous her comment had sounded. "Oh god, Karen I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that," she said, quick to apologize.

The expression on the older woman's face was understanding and a little sad.

After watching the blunt teenager grow up alongside her son, Karen knew that the things she blurted out were never said to hurt someone. It was just that Haley tended to not filter her words before they came out. A habit that was born from having several other brothers and sisters. So many that in the James household, if you didn't speak up, you lost your voice in the crowd.

"Haley, it's fine," Karen easily assured. A small smile told the younger girl that she held no hard feeling for the comment.

"I guess I just haven't gotten used to it," Haley attempted to explain. With a coffee pot in hand, she poured a cup for her friend's mother before bending beneath the counter to search for a package of marshmallows. The little white ones that would be the perfect addition to her own cup of cocoa. "It's hard to picture Luke grunting and spitting with the rest of those animals," she stated, clearly unimpressed with the other guys on the team.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Karen said though her voice lacked any real conviction.

While she was glad that her son had finally found his place doing something that made him happy, she couldn't help but be worried. Especially with Dan Scott so close to the game because of Nathan. He'd undoubtedly make a pest of himself to Lucas with eye rolling, smirking and his own brand of berating. Something he'd learned well from his father, Royal. The worst of them all.

"I guess," Haley sighed quietly and squinted her eyes in confusion, temporarily distracted when she saw some little blue convertible come speeding down the street. Then just as quickly, the car screeched to halt in one of the spaces near the café, instantly cutting its lights. "Besides… I suppose it's a lost cause already anyway," she continued, momentarily forgetting the sight she'd just seen. "Luke's all gung ho about the whole thing so… might as well support him, right?"

"That's one way of looking at it," Karen murmured softly but smiled at the brunette none the less.

Though before either female could utter another word, the bell above the door jingled as it emitted a new customer.

There, clad in a short black skirt and skimpy red lace top stood Brooke Davis. Her shoes were high heeled, blood red and at least four inches up. The brown hair that was normally so immaculate and polished was now windswept and tousled. "What the…" Haley trailed off as she caught sight of the cheer captain, looking pensive and uncertain. Two words that she had never before associated with the beautiful brown haired girl.

"Um.. can we help you with something?" Karen asked as Brooke walked up to the counter.

"Oh, um… a brownie?" Brooke decided before turning her attention to Haley. "Can I talk to you for a second, tutorgirl?"

As she asked, there was an almost desperate expression on her face that had Haley agreeing when she would have otherwise declined. "I'll be right back," she told Karen as the older woman set the baked chocolate pastry down on the counter.

"Thanks." Sliding a dollar bill onto the smooth surface, Brooke offered a small smile of gratitude before turning to follow Haley James outside. "Hmmm. This is really good. I love these brownies even though they've got about a thousand calories," Brooke stated and groaned in pleasure as the chocolate ran over her tongue. "You know, I used to…."

"Wait a second," Haley easily interrupted. "Please don't tell me that you dragged me out here to rave about Karen's brownies."

"What? Oh!... No!" Brooke exclaimed as her mind drifted back to the matter at hand. "Listen, I need your help tutorgirl. It's about your friend, Lucas."

Eyes widening, Haley glared at the other girl when the admission instantly made her wonder if it was all a trap that involved both her and her blonde haired best friend. "What about Lucas?" she questioned harshly, sounding more rude than Brooke had ever heard her speak. And that was saying something considering the times Brooke used to see Haley working with Tim in the tutor center the previous year.

She could admit that she was a difficult student herself… or at least that was what her own tutor said time and again. But Tim Smith, as goofy as he acted, was on an entirely different level of difficult.

"Long story short, there's a prank happening as we speak. Which means that in about an hour, your friend Lucas is about to be _really_ embarrassed," Brooke stated, trying to convey with her words just how serious the whole situation was. "And I can't fix this on my own so I came here," she shook her head, wondering if it would all be in vain. "I thought that maybe you'd be able to help."

After only speaking the occasional word or two to one another over the years, Brooke wasn't at all surprised by the suspicious glint in Haley's brown eyes when she looked into her own hazel ones.

"First tell me why should I believe you? Tell me how I'm supposed to know that this isn't just some trick to get both Lucas _and_ me out there so you can play some prank on the both of us?" Haley questioned, making a valid point as far as she was concerned. It wasn't as if the Ravens or their cheer squad could ever be called moral. They partied harder than any other clique in the school and seemed to thrive on other people's embarrassment.

"I get that we don't usually talk. But why would I want to hurt you?" Brooke asked, sounding truly baffled.

If there was one person in Brooke's life that constantly got hurt by her actions, it was herself. And it was enough.

Unlike the majority of her friends, she didn't take enjoyment from watching other people suffer. Their pranks only garnered her amusement when they were done to people that could handle it or deserved it. Guys like the starting four or girls like Bevin and Theresa. Those that would just laugh it off or were too popular for the unfavorable circumstances to stick.

"You're a tutor and those are the people that basically get me from one grade to another," Brooke continued, unintentionally putting herself down in the process. "And Lucas has never done anything bad to me, okay? This isn't because he's a bad guy. A big part of it is because he committed the worst sin in the world… being the son of Dan Scott. _That's _why he's getting it tenfold tonight."

"Nathan."

It was muttered with disgust as Haley shook her head. "Nathan," Brooke confirmed. "_And_ I know where and how it'll go down tonight. We have the chance to turn it around on them but I can't do it on my own. So will you help me or not?"

Opening and closing her mouth several times, Haley contemplated the situation before fixing Brooke with a hard stare. "Fine. But if this is some trick, I'll make sure no tutor in the school will go anywhere near you. Are we clear," she threatened, causing a small smile to turn up the corners of Brooke's lips.

She was loyal. Fiercely so. The kind of friend that Brooke wished she had.

Sure there was Peyton. A girl she'd known practically since diaperhood. A friend that knew some of her deepest and darkest secrets. But not someone she could always trust. At least not since Peyton began dating Nathan. Slowly but surely, his mindset had rubbed off on her and too many of the things that came from her mouth were now rude or uninterested.

It was all about protecting what she had. Namely her boyfriend and popularity, no matter how often she bitched about either.

"Deal," Brooke agreed and gestured towards her car. The blue convertible that had haphazardly parked a few spaces over. "Come on."

"Wait, I have to tell Karen I'm leaving."

Impatiently, Brooke waited outside as Haley walked back into the café and spoke to the dark haired woman.

In Tree Hill there was rarely a secret that stayed buried for long. Brooke knew that Karen Roe was not only Lucas' mom, but the woman Dan Scott laughed about with his rich friends at their high class parties. She was the self-made businesswoman who achieved her success on her terms alone, something that couldn't be said for Dan as he needed his parents and his wife Deb's money in order to get his car dealership off the ground so many years before.

Karen was also the one everyone rolled their eyes at because of her relationship with the elder Scott brother, Keith. Owner of a garage that Brooke had personally used a couple times in the past. The place where she first noticed Lucas so long ago. Working with the other guys and laughing at something his uncle had said. Brooke couldn't remember what it was but she remembered thinking he was cute. Something about his smile and the way his blue eyes shone with amusement when he laughed.

"Alright, let's go," Haley said, instantly drawing Brooke out of the bubble of remembrance her mind had just been inside of.

As they shot off down the street, Haley was jerked backwards and wasted no time reach for the seatbelt. "Some driver," she muttered under her breath but not quietly enough for Brooke. A small amused smile played at her lips, clearly not offended by the comment.

"Gee… thanks."

Minutes went by and Haley couldn't help but feel distinctly uncomfortable on the leather seats with the wind lapping around her and the cheer captain at her side. With a sigh, she searched her mind and tried to come up with something to say as they drove off to some unmentioned location. Something that would break the silence that had enveloped them because she didn't want to dwell on the possibility that Brooke might actually be decent.

"So what exactly are they planning to do to Lucas?" she asked, eventually coming up with some form of mutual conversation.

"Standard punishment," Brooke said, remembering countless times over the previous two years when she'd seen the same scene they were about to barge in on. "Get him drunk, get him naked and them leave him out in the woods for a while." Sometimes it worse, but Brooke didn't say that out loud. Then other times they were dripping with honey or sporting some profanity in blue paint on their skin. "Afterwards they'll go back to the party and bring everyone out to see him."

"But Lucas doesn't drink," Haley protested.

"Doesn't matter. All it takes is one spike and then they'll slip him something to make it a little easier. Before long he'll be wasted and no one will even know it," Brooke explained, grateful but uncertain as to why she was, that Haley hadn't smelled the alcohol on her own breath.

"But why won't anyone stop it from happening?" Haley questioned, frustrated beyond words. _They really are Neanderthals,_ she couldn't help but think.

"No guy on the team will go up against Nathan. Not when he's Dan Scott's son or the leading scorer every game night," Brooke shook her head, wishing that the other girl could understand how things worked in their world. It wasn't as simple as black and white, right or wrong. There too many shades of gray that made it only too easy to screw up. "Besides… that's just the way it is." It sounded flippant but Brooke didn't know how else to say it without delving too deep into the kind of life they all lived.

"Well then they're all just spineless losers," Haley declared, a mutinous expression etched into her features as she crossed her arms over her chest. The overall effect was a strong resemblance to a petulant child.

"You won't get an argument out of me," Brooke muttered but the words were carried away by the wind as they approached the scene of the crime.

-----

More than half passed out on the ground with the other four starters on the Tree Hill High Ravens varsity team standing around him, Lucas barely noticed as they pulled his clothes off. The twigs that poked his back when they first set him on the dirt were now only a mild annoyance, secondary to the pounding in his head and the loud beat of his heart. "Dude… he's _your _brother. _You_ take off his shorts," Tim declared once they'd gotten Lucas down to his boxers.

Everything else had been taken and stored away in the trunk of Nathan's car for safe keeping. Not that they ever expected for Lucas to see the garments again.

"Urg! Fine, just move out of the way… and stop calling him that," Nathan grunted as he tugged the cotton material down his brother's legs.

Needless to say it was more of his brother than he ever cared to see.

"Dude, I can't wait until the girls see how stupid he looks," Hamilton stated with a smug grin on his lips. _Payback_, he thought, _for seeing his girlfriend checking the new recruit out earlier that day in the halls_. It didn't occur to him that seeing Lucas completely naked wouldn't stop the whispers and pleased giggles whenever he walked down the hall. It would only fuel them.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Nathan ordered once he was certain Lucas was completely asleep. "We'll wait about an hour and then bring everyone down," he decided. But while they were laughing childishly at the prank they had just pulled, none of the four noticed a powder blue beetle slowly driving up the path with its lights turned off.


	4. Rinse

**A/N: **_Hello everyone! I'm glad that the previous chapter was a bit more enjoyable than the one before. As I said, Brucas will definitely come together but the two of them do have obstacles in between them to over come. Though that's not to say there won't be Brucas scenes along the way to coupledom. There will be :) _

_Personally I like a good Baley friendship too and as for Peyton and Nathan's behavior... well, they have their issues but I'll do my best to write their redemption into the story. Just be prepared for them to get a little worse before they get better. And lastly, thanks for the reviews! It helps me to see if anything I'm writing is coming across the wrong way and let's me know you're enjoying other parts. Plus, they make me happy so thank you for that!!_**  
**

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**Chapter 4 - Rinse**

_She'd do anything to sparkle in his eyes_

_She would suffer, she would fight and compromise_

_She's been wishing up the stars that shine so bright_

_For answers to questions that will haunt her tonight_

"Oh my god, he's naked!" Haley screeched as the two girls approached his sleeping form. Flustered, she quickly whipped around and screwed her eyes up tightly, hoping and praying to forget everything she had just seen. All the while beside her, Brooke had no qualms about glancing down at the newest basketball player, sans clothes.

"I _did_ say he would be," Brooke reminded after a moment of open appreciation. "You know…guys who look like him should just walk around naked all day, every day. I think it would make the world a happier place, don't you? What?" she asked after catching sight of the exasperated look Haley sported. "It's just a compliment," she defended, taking in the muscles covering his lean form.

His chest was wide, his arms strong. Powerful legs led up to a trim waist and abs like Brooke had never seen before.

"Does he work out every day or something?" she asked with a hint of a smile on her lips. Then just as quickly she wiped at her mouth, afraid she may have drooled.

Yet despite her teasing words, Haley would have been surprised to find out that Brooke tried not to peek at the area between his legs. The impressive organ that was currently as asleep as Lucas, himself was.

"Can we just get on with this?" Haley groaned, frustrated and more than a little flustered by the brief sight she'd seen.

Growing up together, Lucas had been like another brother to Haley. The last thing she could have wanted was to see him naked and especially in the condition he was in. "Fine, fine. Why don't you grab the blanket I put in the trunk?" Brooke instructed and looked around for some sign of his clothes. Not that she actually expected for Nathan to leave any behind. It was only the vague possibility that Tim or one of the other players had been the one to gather them up that had her peering around just in case.

"Here." Thrusting the blanket at Brooke, Haley waited until the dark haired girl had set it down on Lucas. "Well?"

"All the good parts are covered," Brooke sighed as Haley turned around. It was a no brainer that they'd both have to try and lift him since he was dead weight and sound asleep. "You grab one side and I'll grab the other." But when Brooke walked around his body to grasp his arms, Haley's voice called out for her to stop. "What now?" Brooke asked as she began to get a little frustrated with the other girl's obvious reluctance.

"What if the blanket slips?"

"It's just a dick, tutorgirl. You've already seen it once tonight and it's not like I'm asking you to climb on top of it!"

Though she was grateful for the assistance, Brooke couldn't help the impatient lilt to her raspy voice as she glanced down at her watch. They didn't have much time if they wanted to get away without a trace before Nathan and the others showed up. And even less time left until she was due back at the party to make another quick appearance.

Otherwise it'll have all been for nothing.

"Well sorry if we don't all walk around looking at people's… parts!" Haley spat back, incensed further when Brooke merely rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she muttered, realizing that her reputation was stuck on tight as far as Haley was concerned. The tutor girl probably thought she was just another brainless bimbo who smiled to get out of class and screwed a different guy each night. "Just grab his arms and _I'll _take his legs," she offered, albeit harshly.

Together but slowly, the girls struggled to carry his weight to Brooke's car.

"Urg!" they groaned a few minutes later after finally hefting Lucas into the backseat. Next came the car's top which hid the teenage boy from view as Brooke and Haley quickly scurried into their seats. "Come on. We gotta book it if I'm gonna make it back to the party in time," Brooke coached and glanced in the review mirror, missing the look of frustration that had taken over Haley's features.

"You're actually going back there? After seeing firsthand what they did to him, you're gonna return to the party and knock back a few with the guys who did this?" Haley questioned, unable to keep the anger from her voice.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Brooke asked rhetorically. "_This_ won't stop if they find out I helped. They're gonna keep trying until they get what they want, okay?" she attempted to explain and tried to cut Haley a little slack as she considered how screwed up their social rules were. "They have to think it all played out on Lucas' terms. _He_ has to be the one to beat them or they'll only come after him again until he steps up and _makes_ them stop."

In their world, you either took what came your way with acceptance of how the game was played or you fought back. Most were too scared to do the latter and instead forfeited their pride to see it end.

Brooke hadn't been one of the lucky ones in a time where she hadn't deserved any of it. And in knowing how hurtful it all was, she wanted to spare Lucas the same pain because she knew he didn't deserve it either. "Just let him sleep it off for a while and I'll come back later," Brooke advised once Haley had directed her towards the Roe/Scott house. Haley had yet to say anything else, obviously mulling over the brief explanation she'd just been given.

So with the scratchy woolen blanket still settled into place, the two girls then struggled to carry Lucas up the steps to his door.

Never in the past had Haley been so glad that Lucas had his own entrance into the house. One that led straight to his bedroom rather than up front where any of his neighbors could have seen her and Brooke lugging him inside. "Brooke we can't just leave him like this. What if his mom comes home or… I don't know, what if he doesn't wake up?" Haley asked while casting a worried glance at her unconscious friend.

"He'll wake up," Brooke stated with absolute certainty. She'd seen it happen enough times to at least know that much. "Probably with a headache from hell but he'll wake up."

"Right, but Brooke that isn't the only problem. I can't just stay here," Haley added. "I have a curfew and parents… not to mention that there'd be no way of explaining this to Karen if she came home early and found him like this." Her concern for Lucas was at the forefront of her mind, but Haley was also realistic and knew that there was no way they could keep it all secret. Not without getting into a lot of trouble in the process. "I mean, I'll stay with him for as long as I can but if it gets too late, my parents will call Karen. It'll pretty much all unfold from there."

Sighing, Brooke nodded and reached for the doorknob. "Just give me an hour. It'll all be over by then."

Shutting the door behind her, Haley could only watch, wondering what it all meant.

-----

Had anyone paid attention, they would have thought that a convoy of cars heading to the outskirts of town was a bit suspicious. But then again people often tended to turn a blind eye in Tree Hill. It was an unspoken rule for as long as anyone could remember. Or at least it was where athletes and their girlfriends were concerned.

"I'm so excited," Bevin gushed as she held onto Brooke. Together, the two girls stumbled around in their high heels, following the rest of the troupe through a thick cluster of trees. "I bet he looks so hot naked," she whispered while Brooke couldn't help but silently agree. With or without clothes, Lucas Scott had a body that put all the other boys on the team to shame.

"Probably." Brooke giggled, appearing to everyone that she was just as drunk as her blonde friend.

"Let's go ladies," Nathan said as he threw both arms around their shoulders. A wide grin had turned up the corners of his lips as he anticipated the scene they'd walk in on. With any luck, Lucas would be stumbling around with dirt on his skin and a look of confusion reflecting in his eyes. One that would be replaced with complete embarrassment once he realized everyone had found him.

Nearby, Peyton watched her boyfriend interact with the two cheerleaders, feeling something strongly akin to jealousy.

She was sure that Brooke would never hit on Nathan much less sleep with him but it didn't stop her from feeling left out. Especially since the two had argued again just before the team and cheerleaders abandoned the party to drive out to the woods. "How much further?" the curly blonde asked, hoping to get her boyfriend's attention. But with a sigh, she knew it was a lost cause. He was too hyped up about the prank that he wouldn't have noticed if _she_ had been the naked one stumbling around in the dark.

"How much further?" Brooke repeated after hearing her friend ask the same question. Anticipation coated her words, followed by another giggle. It made Nathan smile and Peyton frown when she saw the exchange between the two. "I'm sleepy," she pouted quietly with a bit of flirtation in her voice.

"Just past those trees," Nathan said, gesturing ahead. He squeezed Bevin's shoulders and held her up when she momentarily lost her balance. "Do you remember when we had to come out here after initiation, Brooke?" he asked suddenly and this time it was the brunette that nearly tripped as she walked alongside him.

The only consolation back then had been that Nathan was getting the same treatment at the same time.

For a short while he hadn't been the ass they all knew and looked up to. He had been human and just as weirded out by it all as Brooke had been. But it hadn't lasted, at least not for him. He took the experience and from it came an overconfidence that Brooke had never seen in him before. He became someone different and expected the same from her. In fact he and the others practically willed it and eventually they began to see her in a different light. Her image changed before their eyes and she hadn't been the same since.

Yet in spite of all the arguments she and Nathan often had, at the heart of it all, they were still friends. And the bond they carried between them was one that nobody, not even Peyton understood.

She couldn't because her initiation into the inner circle had been different. Brooke ensured it and Peyton had never known.

"How could I forget?" Brooke replied. For a moment, she sounded completely sober.

"Dude, he's not here," Tim called out after making it through the trees before anyone else in the group. Hamilton and Springer stood nearby, shaking their heads in agreement.

"It's been an hour. He probably woke up," Nathan shrugged and told everyone to fan out. They'd all look until they found him because it never occurred to anyone else that Lucas might have made it home. Not that it should have. No one had ever done it before in under an hour. And as far as Nathan was concerned, there was no way his despised older brother could be an exception to the rule.

"Come on Bev… we'll go this way," Brooke guided when Nathan went off with a couple guys and their flashlights.

Alone, Peyton leaned against a tree and waited. Whether it was for them to find Lucas or for Nathan to remember she was there, Peyton wasn't sure. All she knew was that no matter how much she loved her boyfriend, it never seemed to be enough for him. _She_ never seemed to be enough. Not when her biggest competitor for his affection was a basketball. And not when Dan Scott made sure it stayed that way.

But when twenty minutes and then thirty passed with no trace of Lucas, Nathan's good mood began to turn sour.

"Oh my god! You don't think he like… made it out? Do you?" Bevin asked as leafs crunched underfoot. Wind carried their hair into their faces and chilled their skin. None of the girls wore jackets and each of them had on a skimpy top that left little to the imagination. "What would that mean? Like would he be our new leader or something?"

"Not if Nathan has anything to say about it," Peyton muttered under her breath.

"No one makes it out, Bev. Not this soon," Brooke assured and spotted the starting four talking in the distance. Whether they were trying to remember the exact location or planning their next move, Brooke wasn't sure. All she knew was that Lucas' absence was quickly creating an anticipatory hum throughout the group. It was also making the Raven boys look like a bunch of jackasses for underestimating the new recruit.

"I'm bored," Theresa declared after another five minutes. "And cold." It was directed to no one in particular but agreed on by all the other girls. "Nate!" she whined, undeterred by the glare he shot in her direction. Even in the dark, with a little moonlight shining through the tree tops, they could all see the irritation he wore so openly. "Let's go! This is killing my buzz!"

And even after, it was another ten minutes before they all agreed to make their way back to Tim's place.

Someone was bound to find Lucas, they decided. Whether it was them or someone else, they had no doubt that he'd at least be embarrassed before the night was over.

It wasn't the original plan but it would have to be enough for now. Otherwise they'd have to admit that the new guy had gotten the best of the starting four. Or worse… that the illegitimate Scott had bested his three month younger brother in a game he hadn't even known he was playing.

Neither prospect was favorable as far as Nathan was concerned.


	5. Stand Still, Look Pretty

**A/N: **_Hello everyone! First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who took the time to review!! _

_I'm realizing that while some of you are Naley and Jeyton fans, others prefer Pathan so no matter where I go with this story, someone is probably going to be disappointed. So if you'd like to know whether or not your ship is gonna make it to the end of the story, you can send me a message and I'll let you know what I intend. That way you can decide whether you want to drop out now or keep going. _

_There'll be a little more Brucas with each chapter and remember, I am absolutely **anti-leyton**!!! so no worries there. Again, thanks everyone :)  
_

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**Chapter 5 - Stand Still, Look Pretty**

_I am slowly falling apart_

_I wish you'd take a walk in my shoes for a start_

_And you might think it's easy being me_

_You just stand still, look pretty_

Haley noticed it had been almost two hours since Brooke left and with the time rapidly approaching midnight, she feared that the other brunette wouldn't be back soon enough. However Brooke had been right about one thing… Lucas had yet to wake or stir for that matter and Haley was inclined to believe he'd been given a sleeping pill of some kind.

During that time when she waited and while it was quiet, Haley's mind began to wonder.

Looking back on the night's events left her feeling nervous and angry all at once. The opening and closing of the front door that revealed Karen's entrance nearly twenty minutes before didn't help matters either. But thankfully his mother hadn't bothered to check her son's room since his old, beat up mustang was nowhere in sight.

Questions were at the forefront of her mind as Haley tried to figure out why the captain of the cheer sluts would jeopardize her status to help Lucas. A boy she hardly knew. Or better yet, why go back to the party after voicing her personal disgust over it all. Despite the explanation that it had to be done in order for it to all be over.

At a second glance, she decided it was an excuse that didn't make a lot of sense. Though Haley supposed that none of it made any sense, least of all the sick pleasure the boys would get from humiliating someone who'd done nothing to them. Certainly not anything that would warrant such a prank.

"Mission accomplished," Brooke whispered as she let herself into the room and leaned back against the door.

"Where have you been?" Haley hissed, all the while tempted to release her own relieved sigh.

She was even more disheveled than when she first left. Her long brown hair was windswept and pulled back in a hasty ponytail with stubborn tendrils up front that refused to stay behind her ears. There was a twig stuck to the bottom of her shoe and the black skirt now looked a little dirty as well.

Haley couldn't help but wonder what exactly Brooke had gotten herself into after leaving the house.

"Appearances count," she answered but the look on Haley's face told her that the other girl had misinterpreted the words to mean something else entirely. "Look, I'll stick around until he wakes up. You can get home now if you need to," Brooke offered and pushed away from the wood she leaned against.

The plaid wallpaper covering the walls was dark and every shelf was lined with an array of books. In addition to the small desk covered in papers and the laptop nearby, Brooke decided that the room looked more like a library than anything else. It was only the bed that gave away the room's true purpose. "Sure… whatever," Haley said quietly though loud enough for Brooke to hear. "Just tell Lucas to call me if he needs anything."

Jacket in hand, she walked out the door without another word.

Sighing, Brooke looked around at the few frames sitting on the furniture. She could guess that the blonde haired blue eyed boy in each one was Lucas. A few featured him with his mother Karen or his uncle Keith. "Happy," she murmured softly, admiring the smiles they always gave the cameras.

Even if they weren't completely conventional, they were most definitely a family. Love was undeniable in their eyes as well as laughter.

Most people around town who didn't have enough tact to keep their mouths quiet often said that Lucas ended up with the short end of the stick. Though it was obvious from the photographs, at least to Brooke, that those who judged really had no idea.

And with her thoughts came a few stray tears.

Brooke would never begrudge anyone a happy childhood or a caring family, especially with her own experiences in that department. Yet she couldn't help the wave of sadness that coursed through her body as she thought about the previous ten years. The hours spent away from her parents and the broken promises of phone calls and visits. A lot of talk about things that would never come to fruition.

Then all too suddenly, she became aware of her surroundings. Even with no one else around to notice, Brooke was instantly embarrassed and hurried to wipe the tears away. Almost as if she was afraid Lucas would sit up and laugh. Though if she was honest with herself, Brooke doubted he would do such a thing. Her friends maybe but not Lucas.

Brooke wasn't sure why she knew this but somehow she just did.

-----

Regardless of what Haley had assumed, Brooke had no intention of ever letting Lucas know she'd been at his bedside while he slept. She didn't want him to find out that she'd been the one to slip a pair of boxers up his legs or the person who set the trashcan by his mattress. Lucas wasn't meant to know that she stayed up the whole night watching, waiting for some sign that he was okay. Or that she breathed a sigh of relief when he rolled over onto his side without any prodding on her part.

But he _would_ be made aware of it if she didn't get to Haley first. If she didn't get the chance to explain why it all had to stay a secret.

So as the sun came up, highlighting the darkened sky with a beautiful array of yellows and pinks, Brooke hauled herself out of his desk chair.

She grabbed the blanket they'd wrapped Lucas in the night before and reached for her purse. Shoes in hand, she tiptoed out of the room, careful not to make a noise. Then when the door creaked, she held her breath and waited until she was sure his breathing was still even and undisturbed.

Unlike Haley who had her parents to worry about, Brooke's house was empty when she walked through her red front door.

Silence greeted her and filled her ears. A sound she had long since gotten used to after years of the same thing. The same emptiness that filled her house like furniture filled everyone else's.

A shower removed the scent of smoke that clung to her skin and some Colgate dissolved the taste of alcohol that lingered on her breath. Clothes from the night before were discarded in the laundry hamper, waiting for the maid to get them washed when she came in on Monday. And the heels she'd sported, now with bits of gravel sticking to their soles, were set down in the closet for later use.

No one would have guessed that Brooke Davis hadn't slept for a minute the night before as she pulled up to the James house looking fresh and beautiful as always.

"Hi. Can I speak to Haley please?" she politely greeted when an older woman answered the door. She had the same sandy colored hair and a wide smile as she invited Brooke inside. It was easy to see the resemblance between mother and daughter as the woman instructed Brooke up the stairs and informed her of which door belonged to her daughter. "Thank you."

The bubblegum pink velour track suit and white tank top Brooke wore was a stark contrast from the oversized flannel pajamas Haley walked around in. They were ratty and blue plaid but seemed comfortable enough. "What are you doing here? Is Lucas okay," Haley questioned instantly before she crossed her arms over her chest. An obvious defensive move.

Feeling distinctly frumpy next to the cheery brunette, she instinctively lashed out with a bit of rudeness that was undeserved.

Brooke seemed undeterred though, determined to say her peace.

"I've thought about it and I think you should just tell him that you heard someone talking about the prank when you were in the café. One of the parents or something… maybe a kid from school. You don't have to specify, but tell him that when you heard it, you got worried and went looking for him," Brooke began, causing a look of confusion to replace Haley's previous ire. "He won't remember anyway so you can say that you picked him and he got inside your car. Then you drove him home and put him to bed."

Hands up, she halted Brooke's story and shook her head. "I can't tell whether I'm still sleepy or if you just don't make any sense at all," Haley declared bluntly.

"I want you to tell him it was you. Just you."

"Why?"

"Because I'd rather him owe his best friend than have him owe me."

"Brooke… Lucas won't fall for that story," Haley sighed. "It's just too far fetched to believe that I would hear about the prank from someone's parent. Or that a kid from school, who wasn't at the party, would know what was going to happen," she informed and shook of her head again, this time disapproving. The messy bun she'd wrapped her hair up in had a few escaping strands that framed her face and tickled her nose as she moved.

"Not all parents in this town are as innocent as you'd like to think," Brooke replied simply. "With all the parties and pranks around town, do you honestly believe that no one's parents have a clue? Do you think they don't notice the missing booze in their liquor cabinets or the girls' underwear they find in their son's beds?" _At least most parents did anyway_, she thought idly. "Or don't you realize that this kind of hazing isn't anything new? Because it isn't. It's been happening since Royal Scott walked the halls of Tree Hill High over thirty years ago."

"But… no that-that can't be possible. I mean… why? _How_?" Her imagination didn't allow her to understand because she'd never been exposed to it before. Haley's first foray into the hidden dark side of their school's most popular clique had been a walk in the park compared to the other things that went on. The things that weren't talked about out loud.

"How? Because it's fight club, Haley. What happens in fight club, stays in fight club," Brooke stated. "We don't bring outsiders into this because truth be told, we all know how screwed up it is. But that's the way it works… at least it does in our world. So we accept it for what it is and we don't bitch about it later."

"But the parents know and don't say anything. I just don't understand why they would let it happen."

"Because it's always been done," Brooke shrugged simply. "Dan Scott knew exactly what was going to happen to Lucas last night. So did Tim's parents and Harper and Springer and Bevin and Theresa's. Every parent of every cheerleader and basketball player because the majority of us are all legacies. We do what our parents did before us and what they did before them."

Initiations happened to everyone welcomed to the inner circle because it ensured loyalty. They didn't rat each other out because each one of them had something to lose if they did. The only thing that differed between them was what that thing was. "Just trust me when I tell you that he absolutely can't say anything to them Haley. Not about me and not about someone taking him away from it all. They can't know and you have to make sure of it. For his sake."

"You mean for yours," Haley corrected once the shock of it all began to dull.

No… for his," Brooke said with a sad smile. "I know the game and I play it well because I know all the rules. _I _won't get burned. _He_ will."

As inclined as she was to argue, there was something in Brooke's eyes that told Haley she was being truthful. Brooke knew things and she was using them now to protect Lucas from whatever consequences might await him. The only thing Haley still didn't understand was why. Why had she done it all?

"Lucas'll probably spend his morning emptying his stomach. You should be there for him," she added quietly and waited a beat for some kind of argument. When none came, Brooke turned on her heel and headed out the door.

In her haste, she didn't hear the quiet 'okay' Haley spoke.

-----

Brooke hadn't been lying when she said Lucas would spend his morning sick to his stomach. It was what woke him up and kept him groaning for the half hour it took Haley to arrive.

She guided him to the bathroom and waited outside while he took a shower and brushed his teeth. Then when Karen stepped into the hall and saw Haley sitting on her couch, the younger girl lied about where she'd gone the night before after hastily leaving the café.

She kept her distracted as Lucas walked from the bathroom into his room with a white towel wrapped around his waist. Blue eyes were bloodshot and tired. His skin was clammy but heated from the hot steam of his shower.

When he asked what had happened, Haley parroted the crazy story Brooke had concocted about hearing some kids from school talking. She added bits and pieces of the popular girls' explanation, using it as a way to make Lucas understand how Haley could have found out such details. And when he grimaced and groaned, she looked at him with nothing but sympathy and guilt.

He was angry and rightfully so. Haley had expected no less.

But she was surprised to find that Lucas had no intention of saying something about it all. It was as if he knew that nothing would be done to those involved while Nathan was leading the group. Dan would ensure it. He'd pick one son over the other just as he'd done countless times in the past. And when she saw the realization on his face, Haley also began to feel a sickness in her stomach that had nothing to do with being hung over.

Then while Lucas was quiet, mulling over the night's events, Haley took the opportunity to further consider Brooke's words. About how she'd called it a game and the confidence in her voice when she said she knew how to play.

Suddenly Haley couldn't help but wonder what the real Brooke Davis was like. Not the brainless bimbo everyone knew and admired from afar, but the girl who knew how to play hardball when the occasion arose. She wondered if Brooke would be able to continue protecting Lucas from the brunt of his brother's hatred. Or if it was a one time thing that wouldn't be repeated the next time Nathan decided to get even.

And in the midst of her questions regarding Brooke, Haley discovered that she had a even more regarding a few other people. Specifically Karen and Keith and how they could have signed off on Lucas playing basketball when they had to know what would happen. Back in high school Karen had been a cheerleader dating the star of the team. Keith had been an athlete himself.

But through her musings she was never able to come up with a suitable enough answer. All she could hope was that maybe they each believed the hazing was just a phase. Something that had ended long ago once Whitey became the team's head coach as opposed to the assistant he had been during Keith's day.

Afterwards when he was feeling a little better, Haley watched Lucas tell his mom he'd locked his keys in his car, thus his reason why it wasn't in their driveway. Karen had nodded in understanding and left to open up the café while Haley drove Lucas out to Smith's house with his spare. From where she waited, sitting inside her parents car, she watched him stare up at the house with an unreadable expression on his face. He was unmoving at first and completely silent as he looked over at the bodies that littered the yard and the few cars that continued to reside in front where they'd been haphazardly parked after returning from the woods.

It was a game and Haley was terrified that Lucas was about to be forced to play.


	6. Beautiful Disaster

**A/N: **_Hi everyone, I'm glad you're liking this so far! This part is a little rocky for Brucas but from this point on, it definitely gets much better ;) Thanks again to everyone for reading and reviewing!_

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**Chapter 6 - Beautiful Disaster**

_He drowns in his dreams_

_An exquisite extreme I know_

_He's as damned as he seems_

_And more heaven than a heart could hold _

_And if I try to save him_

_My whole world could cave in_

To those standing on the outside looking in, nothing was different on Monday morning. But to the choice few who had been out in the woods that night, something had shifted. Nathan's control was no longer as cemented as it had been the week before. Those who followed him weren't as certain as they used to be either and it was all because of his brother Lucas. The only one in the history of their hazing to make it out in under an hour. The only one to make it through the gauntlet unscathed and undetected by those who anxiously waited to laugh and point.

"If I hated that guy before, I'm not sure what emotion could describe how I feel about him now," Peyton said casually as she and Brooke headed towards the school's entrance steps. The scowl that first took its place at the party was still lingering on her face, revealing just how affected she was by her boyfriend's antics.

"Nate's still feeling a little pissed off, huh?" Brooke queried, seemingly more interested in the conversation than she actually was. Not that Peyton noticed as she her scowl turned into a rude glare when she caught sight of Lucas Scott walking across the parking lot. "You know it's only gonna get worse, Pey unless you talk to him. Tell him that you're sick of this stupid vendetta he has against his brother," she advised.

Her expression was guarded and neutral, her words spoken with a hint of disinterest.

Anyone listening wouldn't have suspected a thing and her best friend was no exception.

"It's not my place," Peyton shook her head, momentarily forgetting her ire towards Lucas as she instead focused on Brooke's encouragement. "My home life is just as screwed up in its own way but he doesn't tell me what to do about it. Why shouldn't I extend him the same courtesy?"

"Because there's a difference between a dad who works hard to provide for his daughter, I.E. yours. Or the dad who could easily be mistaken for the devil incarnate, otherwise known as Dan Scott," Brooke declared unremorsefully. "The guy is fucking up his son's life and doesn't care as long as he gets what he wants. So if you care as much about Nathan as you say you do, then why don't say something to him about it."

Shaking her head, Peyton released a tired sigh. "You know Nate better than that, Brooke. He won't listen to me. Not about this."

"Then get used to be ignored because it's what'll happen until Nathan finally outdoes his brother."

-----

Lucas still felt a hint of nausea as he walked into school and headed towards his locker. Along with his upset stomach, the anger he'd felt all weekend refused to dissipate. Unfortunately it only got worse when he reached inside the metal compartment to grab his history textbook and heard his brother's sarcastic voice. "What's the matter… did you have too much to drink the other night, Luke? You look a little hung-over."

The words meant nothing but the implication meant everything.

Turning to face his brother, Lucas' hands clenched involuntarily, unable to get past the thought that Nathan was a complete jerk. Too much like their father for his own good.

Nose to nose, the two boys stared at each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move. To give the other a reason to hit back. "Nathan?" called out Peyton as she approached, hoping to diffuse a fight before it happened. But her dark haired boyfriend didn't listen. In fact, he didn't appear to have heard her at all as he continued to match Lucas' stare. "I told you he wouldn't listen to me," she muttered to Brooke, a girl that was unaccustomed to being ignored.

"Then make him," Brooke stated strongly before sauntering up to the pair. "Hey Nate. Morning superstar," she greeted and wiggled herself in between the two boys. "So tell me, gorgeous… how'd you like your first game party?" Her palms flat against his chest, Brooke pushed Lucas back a bit, ensuring that his attention was focused solely on her and not his brother. "Tell me you'll get into the strip poker game next time. It'd be a shame to keep that body of yours hidden away with clothes."

Her words were bait, giving Lucas a bit of an upper hand while the younger Scott quietly seethed.

"Damn it, Brooke. Not now."

The words came from Nathan but his scowl didn't scare her. "But if I don't do it now, then how else will I convince him to walk me to class?" Brooke smiled her dimpled smile and linked her arm with Lucas'. "Come on," she invited and offered Peyton a wink when she caught sight of the curly haired blonde, watching the two uncertainly.

"Why'd you do that?" Lucas asked, speaking his first words since arriving at school.

"Because I'm probably the only one who could," Brooke answered simply.

Lucas wasn't sure what she meant and didn't know how to feel about it either. On one hand she'd stepped in to stop him and his brother from airing their dirty laundry in front of the entire student body. On the other hand, she had only succeeded in prolonging the inevitable. "You didn't prevent anything, you know. You just stalled it." She knew he was right but a part of her hoped she could somehow manage to change it.

"Don't try to play the game until you know how the games works," Brooke advised because the real explanation was too long and personal to give as they walked towards her math class.

"It's not a game to me," Lucas said, voice pensive and eyes serious. Brooke had never known anyone as serious as he was. Or broody for that matter.

"But it is to him."

"So then what, I'm just supposed to let him get away with it?" Lucas asked when another thought occurred to him. "Wait, are you part of it? This game… are you a part of it?" he clarified when she seemed to not understand the question. "Because you and I have talked only a handful of times, maybe. Not to mention the fact that your best friend is _his_ girl."

"And all us cheer sluts stick together so I must be in on some covert plan to bring you down, right?" Brooke bit back, all the while knowing that he had every right to question her motives. She'd never given him a reason not to. "Just forget I said anything, okay. It doesn't matter. Do whatever the hell you want to do."

She untangled her arm and prepared to walk away when he reached out. His hand was warm and soft despite the calluses she felt on the pads of his fingers as he gently grasped her wrist. "I…" opening and closing his mouth several times, he searched for an apology but couldn't quite find the words she needed to hear.

With a sigh, she slipped her wrist away and quietly said, "You were just going away."

Silently, he watched Brooke step inside a math classroom while students passed him by. Some wore curious expressions as they wondered why he just stood there or what he was waiting for. If asked, Lucas couldn't have answered either question. He just knew that he'd hurt the feelings of a girl who'd rarely spoken to him and for some unexplainable reason, he felt truly bad about it.

-----

Coach Whitey Durham watched his varsity squad practice, searching for some sign that his team had gone against his wishes. A forbiddance to touch the newest Scott and initiate him into the group like many had been before. The same forbiddance he gave each year as new players joined the roster. Yet as far as he knew, the warning had only been heeded once before when a young father named Jake had begun playing.

He had already been through enough and didn't need the embarrassment or humiliation of being caught naked in the middle of nowhere.

For once… his players had listened and left the boy alone.

But Whitey had no illusion that they'd do the same for Lucas. It wasn't a question of if.. his only question was when.

"Brooke has a thing for picking up strays," Nathan said as he shot three pointers alongside Lucas. A smirk formed on his lips when he sunk the first basket, seeing nothing but net as it swished through before bouncing on the hardwood floor. "She might have saved you this morning but she won't do it again. So if I were you, I wouldn't count on her putting herself between the two us next time."

"Why would you care if she did?"

"She won't."

He sounded so sure of himself that Lucas had to laugh. "What's wrong, Nate… afraid of getting bested again?"

For a moment, he had to thank Tim. Despite the fact that he undoubtedly had something to do with the prank, he was also too curious for his own good. And through him, Lucas learned just how angry Nathan was because he'd somehow managed to make his way out of the woods without anyone seeing him.

He'd won and he didn't even remember doing it. But Nathan did.

"That's enough shooting around. Everyone take a knee," Whitey called out, unknowingly saving the two brothers from whatever digs they were about to shell out next. "To accommodate the date of this year's charity game, we've had to make a few changes to the schedule. So Friday's game against Bear Creek has been moved to Wednesday instead."

Groans greeted his announcement and made Whitey chuckle.

For as long as the old coach could remember, no one in Tree Hill liked anyone from Bear Creek. From the athletes to the cheerleaders to the academic clubs… Bear Creek was their biggest rival and it was the one thing the entire student body agreed on. The one thing each organization seemed to have in common.

"They like to run a motion offense. They're comfortable with it. So it's your job to take the comfort away and force them to try something new," Whitey continued, glancing at each player to ensure he had their attention. "I want the white team on defense, blue on offense. Set up to run motion and we're going to keep on running it until I'm sure you can defend it."

No one groaned at the promise because they knew better. Their coach wouldn't have tolerated it. So for the first forty five minutes of practice, Nathan and Lucas put aside their differences and ran every drill Whitey instructed them too. "Come on, Tim. Move your feet," he yelled from the sidelines when the young player allowed Jake to run right past him. "Offense sells tickets, defense wins games." An old adage that they recently began to hear their coach preach.

"Does anyone else wonder if he got that from Love & Basketball?" Nathan laughed, garnering a chuckle from a few friends until Lucas added, "Hmm… watch a lot of chick flicks Nate?"

The innocent look on his face was the polar opposite of the scowl etched onto Nathan's as he threw the ball roughly at his brother. It sailed towards the bleachers and just managed to clip the blonde brother's arm along the way. "What the hell is your problem?" Lucas demanded and pushed Nathan backwards.

The barb had been innocent enough and not particularly insulting. But Nathan was his father's son and men like they them didn't admit to weaknesses as small as watching a girl aimed movie.

"What's _your _problem?" he bit back and shoved Lucas just as hard.

"Knock it off!" Whitey yelled after blowing the whistle, its piercing sound echoing in the hollow sounding gym. "Nathan, you're inside running horses. Sideline to sideline and don't stop until I say you can," he punished, wearing his own scowl as the dark haired Scott brother clenched his fist in obvious frustration. "Lucas, you're outside. I want four laps around the parking lot and if you're both lucky I'll let you play at the Midnight Madness. Now go! Both of you."

"Someday soon," Nathan promised as he bumped Lucas shoulder on the way to the sideline.

"We'll see about that," Lucas muttered and headed outside like he'd been instructed.

A few dark clouds blanketed the sky with hints of darkness as he began his run. The air smelled like rain but Lucas suspected it wouldn't fall for at least another hour so. Plenty of time for him to get the laps completed and his body back inside the gym. "So are you two hooking up now or something?" Bevin asked Brooke as she pointed to the edge of the grass where Lucas was running on the pavement. "Because if you're not…" she trailed off leadingly.

"Yeah, Brooke… you got a thing for the new guy?" Peyton asked persistently as she and the other cheerleaders looked at their captain expectantly.

Sprawled on the grass as they stretched before practice, the girls would rather have listened in on the latest gossip rather than spend that time perfecting their newer cheers. "He _is_ hot," Brooke acknowledged with a grin as she thought back to the night of the party and the amazing body she'd seen out in the woods. "But there's no hookup," she admitted, shrugging. Yet the expressions she was met with told Brooke that more than half the girls didn't believe her claim of innocence. Unfortunately for Brooke, Peyton's face was among those in disbelief.

"Well…" Bevin said after a moment's consideration. "So the two of you are chummy or whatever, then I give you a week. After that… he's fair game."

"Think you can swing a hook up in a week, Brooke?"

The question, slightly sarcastic and more than a little insulting, came from her best friend. Curls pulled up in a loose ponytail and no visible traces of makeup on her face, Peyton looked younger than her sixteen years. And for a moment, Brooke was transported back to a time when things were much easier. Back when their lives were simpler instead of ruled by the restrictions of their demanding lifestyles.

She longed to get that simplicity back but a look from her best friend told her that it was quickly becoming a lost cause.

"Line up in your starting positions for the first chant," she called out instead, ignoring the curious look Peyton and the other girls shot her. _It didn't matter,_ she told herself. They could think whatever they wanted and she wouldn't let it get her down because she knew the truth. The plain ole truth that wasn't nearly as interesting as the web of tales they'd all entangled themselves within.


	7. Lie in the Sound

**A/N: **_Well I'm glad that despite Lucas' little bout of jerkism, that you all still enjoyed the chapter. You're right about Peyton being a little on the fence and her inner struggle is far from over. There is definitely more friendship and relationship stuff ahead and I hope you all keep enjoying it. _

_Thanks again for reading and reviewing!!_

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Lie in the Sound**

_Oh the timing is cruel_

_Oh I need and don't want to need_

_More than I should_

_I am falling, say my name_

_And I'll lie in the sound forever_

Tree Hill High had many sports teams and academic clubs but they were most widely known for their basketball program. Each year the school kicked off the new season with a series of week-long events, beginning with a Midnight Madness in the gym. It was a celebration of sorts that the entire town was invited to and featured a fifteen minute scrimmage between the members of the varsity squad. Cheerleaders, band members and students alike usually filled up the bleachers and left little room for the hordes of townspeople who came by to show their support. Others made an appearance simply because it was hosted by Dan Scott and he expected nothing less from those he kept company with.

Deafening would be the only word to describe the noise level once the room had gone dark in that late hour.

But with the beat of the bass drum, the spotlight turned on and encircled Dan Scott with its bright beam. "Is everybody for midnight madness!" he called out amidst the crowd's loud cheers. Air horns echoed in the gym along with the catcalls that only got louder as the school's mascot egged them on. Blue and white banners were waved around along with little souvenir pompoms that the cheer squad had thrown out earlier that night. "That's what I'm talking about," he smirked while eating up all the attention. "The countdown to the start of the season is on. Let me hear you. 5…4…3…2…1…" the crowd counted along. "Let the madness begin!!"

"Now." Brooke gestured towards one of the guys in the AV club, cuing up the music to the dance they'd start the event off with. Smoke that had previously kept them hidden now seemed to part ways as the cheer squad paraded through.

"You all know what sides you're on. Two seven minute quarters and one minute of sudden death," Whitey reminded as the team prepared to run out from behind the locker room's doors. Half of them were clad in white uniforms while the other half wore blue. "And it's gonna be a clean game. No one's getting hurt before Bear Creek in two days." However the final comment was directed towards Nathan and Lucas who were on opposing teams for the night's purposes.

"And the team that going to deliver us our state title… your Tree Hill Ravens!" Dan called out once the girls had finished their routine.

"Game time boys," Whitey directed and stood back as the group of twelve ran through a large banner and into the gym.

"Alright, Ravens… whoo!" the girls cheered and waved their pompoms around.

Blue beamed spotlights danced crazily across the floor while the boys, each toting a ball, came to the center of the court. Almost instantly, the cheerleaders closed in on them while the boys put their hands out, one on top of the other. "Ravens on 3," Nathan called out. "1…2…3… Ravens!" the team chanted.

Turning, Lucas found himself standing in front of one cheerleader as they all began to disperse. "Good luck, superstar," she winked and waved her pompoms in his face before turning to follow the rest of her squad.

Despite their earlier disagreement, Lucas laughed at her teasing and joined the blue team on the away bench.

"I guess you took Bevin's week-long deadline to heart, huh?" Peyton asked once Brooke made it to the baseline in front of the visitor's basket. "So are you just trying to not waste time or has it been going on for a while now and we're all just finding out about it?" she amended, grinning when the inquiry garnered the attention of Theresa and Ashley who were nearby and listening.

Across the court, Brooke spied Lucas laughing at something Jake said while Nathan glared at the two.

With a look of surprise plastered on her face, she turned towards the blonde. "God, P Sawyer… are you PMS'ing or just pissed off about Nathan snubbing you? Because you've been acting like an ubber bitch since last week." _It was true,_ Brooke told herself, but she couldn't help the twinge of guilt it made her feel. Her only consolation was that the girls expected it of her. No one would be surprised to hear Brooke Davis telling off a squad member, they would just a be a little taken aback that it was directed towards her supposed best friend.

"Well if that isn't the pot calling the kettle," Peyton said with a glare.

"Whatever, Peyton. Just try and act like a cheerleader for once," Brooke said, shaking her head sadly.

Sitting in the bleachers and mostly hidden from view by the other screaming fans, Karen Roe watched her son walk onto the court with mixed emotions. It almost felt bittersweet considering the last time she set foot inside the gym was to watch Dan play his final game as a Tree Hill Raven seventeen years before. "How're you holding up?" Keith whispered in her ear after watching several expressions flash across her face before she settled on nervousness.

"I'll be fine… I mean, I have to be," Karen said, wearing a sad smile aimed at her long-time friend. "I just hope Lucas isn't setting himself up for a big disappointment."

Despite her son's assurances that she didn't have to make it the madness or the games, Karen knew that it would be selfish of her to take him up on the offer. Especially since he rarely asked her for anything. Almost as if learned at a young age that there were some things he was better off without for her sake. He was amazing in that respect and so unlike his brother Nathan if Keith's stories were anything to go by.

-----

The two quarters passed in a blur of show boating and over the top plays. With Whitey sitting behind the scores table rather than at the coaches bench, it was up to the players to decide which direction they'd take. The point guard called the shots and the other four were expected to follow his lead.

Thankfully the allotted fourteen minutes came and went with little problems and no hard fouls. But when the buzzer sounded and the players returned to their benches in preparation for the sudden death round, Whitey began to wonder if their good sportsmanship would last. Mostly because the two Scott brothers were on opposing teams and there was only a two point difference between them.

"I think you got an admirer," Jake pointed out quietly.

"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked and followed Jake's line of sight to half court where the cheer squad was performing another dance routine. Blue eyes found hazel as he met Brooke's gaze. "We hardly know each other," he excused and allowed her to hold his attention for a second longer than was necessary. "Maybe she was looking at _you_," he said and grinned when Jake laughed at the thought.

"I doubt that," he declared confidently. "Besides, you're definitely the one that caught her eye."

"Go Ravens!" they called out once the music had stopped and bounced back to their place at the baseline.

"Game time," Lucas said, effectively ending the debate. Ten boys took the floor again, two meeting in the middle for the tip-off. Nathan would be jumping against Springer but lost the toss to the three inches taller center. "Let's go," Lucas muttered to himself once he had control of the ball. "Blue," he called and held one hand up in the air to signal the play he wanted.

Names were all generic, changed for the night so the opposing side wouldn't immediately know which offense they were running.

With Tim on the white team and the back-up point guard resting on the bench, Lucas directed the blue side before handing the ball off to the forward Nathan guarded. Running across the paint, he swung around to get in position when his brother suddenly abandoned the guy with the ball and instead stepped into his path.

Lucas hadn't expected the immediate switch and didn't see Nathan's assault coming until he'd been knocked onto the floor.

Grimacing at the quick explosion of pain and the air that left his lungs, he stayed on the ground until the stars behind his eyes slowly faded away. "Foul away from the ball. Number 2-3. Blue ball," an assistant coach called out. He shook his head at Nathan as he and the other coach serving as refs went back to their places on the court.

From where he sat, Whitey quietly seethed after witnessing the unnecessary cheap shot.

"You're alright, man," Jake said and held his hand out to help Lucas stand.

The crowd cheered when he was back on his feet. Most of them anyway. Keith was shaking his head and Karen was glaring at Dan because of the amused smirk turning up the corners of his lips. "Yeah… I'm alright," Lucas agreed without taking his eyes off his brother. Nathan seemed entirely too pleased with himself despite the fact that he was now playing with five fouls. All which he managed to get while playing defense on Lucas. "One more and he's out. I'm sure his dad'll love that."

"Come on."

"Yeah, you're right Peyton... you don't need to say anything to Nathan. He's doing just fine," Brooke shook her head while the sarcasm in her words made Peyton glare.

"He isn't your boyfriend, Brooke. Neither of them are," she bit back. "It's none of your business."

"If you won't say anything to him then I will," Brooke retorted after ignoring Peyton's barb.

"You're asking for trouble."

Like a tennis match, the other girls looked back and forth between the two friends. Watching and waiting for whatever insult would come next. "Trouble doesn't scare me, Peyt. You must have me confused with yourself."

"Uh oh," Bevin quietly muttered.

-----

Long after the buzzer had sounded, revealing the white team as the victor, Brooke sat at the bottom of the bleachers waiting. She knew the boys inside the locker room were probably being yelled at by their coach. At least half of them were for the stunts they'd pulled out on the court. Fouls committed that could have actually hurt one another before their big game with Bear Creek.

Once the final score had gone up, Peyton didn't bother to say a single word to Brooke. She didn't even wait for her boyfriend before leaving the gym with a scowl on her face and a proverbial megaphone stuck up her ass.

"See you guys later," she heard and silently stood by the doors to wait. In a matter of moments, a tall dark haired player emerged with his bag slung over one shoulder and a smile on his face. Reacting without thinking, Brooke reached out to get his attention. "Ow! What the hell's your problem, Brooke?" Nathan demanded and rubbed the spot on his arm she had pinched.

"Gee, let me think about it, Nate. Could it be the fact that lately Princess Peyton has been a royal bitch?" Brooke spat and rolled her eyes when he continued to nurse the sore skin. She figured there was no use beating around the bush, not where Nathan was concerned and not when she wanted to get the argument out of the way before the entire team walked out. "Or should I take it a step further and smack you again because _you're _the reason she's acting that way?"

Quietly, Nathan waited until two of his teammates had passed before giving Brooke his full attention. "Look, I'm sorry if Peyton's being weird with you but I hardly see how it's my fault. _I'm_ not that one who's acting weird. Remember, _I'm_ the one that just got pinched," he felt the need to add before crossing his arms over his chest. Brooke knew him well enough to realize he was daring her to correct him. He was trying to rub it in that she couldn't find a reason to place the blame on his shoulders.

But he was wrong.

"See that's the thing, Nate. This stupid vendetta you have against your brother is driving Peyton insane and because she won't say anything about it to you, she's lashing out at me," Brooke informed before crossing her own arms. "It needs to stop already, okay. You did the initiation and he passed. It's over, Nathan. Just let it go."

"No. You know the rules, Brooke. The game's not over until the captain says it is," Nathan declared roughly. For a moment following, he looked genuinely apologetic before he masked it away with an impassive expression. "And I'm not ready for it to be over," he shrugged.

"Well this captain is," she countered, standing just as strongly. "Your grudge is fucking with my squad and you have my best friend tied up in knots and acting like a yoyo. One minute she's hot then the next she's cold and it's causing a big rift between us. I won't put the other girls through it and I won't lose her because of it," Brooke said and offered her once friend a sad smile. "You have to get over this Nate and if you won't… if you're really so determined to play this damn game… then play against me. _I'm_ the opponent to beat, not Lucas. You know I can make it hell for you just as easily as you can do it to me."

The anger on his face was easy to read. He dropped his arms to his sides and clenched his hands into fists of frustration. "Damn it, Brooke. What do you care what happens to him?" Nathan all but demanded. They were the words he'd given Peyton the night of the party. The question he had asked. But whereas her answer was what he wanted to hear, he knew Brooke's wouldn't be.

"We all get what's coming to us. I accepted it and so did you… so did everybody else. But there was a reason why you didn't haze Jake," she reminded, remembering how surprised and proud she had been when they let him slip by without punishment. "And there's a reason why you shouldn't with Lucas either." _Neither of them deserved it._

Opening and closing his mouth a few times, Nathan finally release a sigh. It was then that Brooke knew she had lost. "After everything we went through together I'd do just about anything you asked… but I'm sorry. I can't do _this_," he softly apologized and walked away with his head down.

She had lost the battle but Brooke had no intention of losing the war.

-----

With his ride home absent from the parking lot, Lucas slung his gym bag over his shoulder and began walking across the paved surface. He had taken longer than any of his teammates because Coach Durham had been adamant about getting things squared away before leaving for the night. He wanted to make sure that Lucas wasn't planning anything retaliatory against Nathan. Not that he didn't deserve it, Whitey just knew that it wouldn't help matters at all. If anything it would only make things harder on himself.

But even knowing the logic behind it, Lucas wasn't sure what to do with the advice he'd been given. Especially since Nathan obviously had no qualms about taking cheap shots wherever he could get them. So the question became whether or not he wanted to take the same path.

"Don't you drive?" Brooke asked when the blonde haired athlete passed by her car.

She had been busy trying to stow away a box of extra souvenirs that the squad would continue giving out at the upcoming charity game. The assortment of blue and white pompoms, miniature basketballs and Raven banners would have to go home with her since the cheerleading storage locker was already filled with other props. As captain, the responsibility of making sure they stayed safe fell on Brooke.

"Haley was supposed to give me a ride but I couldn't find her," Lucas answered while Brooke attempted to close the hood of her trunk. "You know you'd probably have better luck if you just put those in your backseat," he suggested.

"Are you offering to help?"

"Are you offering me a ride home?" he countered.

"Count on it," Brooke said with a grin and watched Lucas lift the box off the carpeted floor of her trunk. "You know it took me fifteen minutes to drag it out here," she added when he carried it around her car with ease. "I should have just looked for you."

Lucas began to return her smile when he remember their earlier conversation. Specifically that he never got around to apologizing for it. "Listen, Brooke… I'm sorry about earlier. I realize now that you were just trying help and I shouldn't have taken my frustration out on you."

She opened her mouth to say it was no big deal. It's what she would have said to anyone else but with Lucas she couldn't help feeling like his apology _did _matter. "I know that we aren't exactly friends," she acknowledged with a shrug. "And I've been close to Nathan for a long time now so I can see where you might not want to trust my motives. But I'm not out to get you, Lucas. I know that this thing between the two of you is going to get a lot worse before it ever gets better so…"

"Why?"

"What?" she shook her head, distracted by his interruption.

"Why do you want to help _me_."

"Because this thing happens to everyone but some get it worse than others. _You'll _get it worse than anyone else and let's just say that I know what that feels like." It was the closest she'd ever come to admitting the truth about her own initiation two years before. Not even Peyton had gotten the details.

"So what was yours?" Lucas quietly asked. He couldn't deny being curious about this ritual the two squads seemed to have.

The idea of hazing seemed outdated and archaic to him. Lucas had a hard time imagining how they had gotten away with it for so long without someone spilling the truth to a principle or parent. He wondered what had kept everyone quiet and considered what other forms of humiliation the teams had come up with in the past. But he didn't ask that question then. He supposed it wasn't so important at the time. But he did want to know about Brooke's. Lucas wanted to know what had happened to this girl that had her turning on her own to keep him and Nathan from fighting in the hallways.

"Mine?" Brooke quietly repeated.

An entire car separated them but Brooke felt like he was too close. For a moment she had allowed him to glimpse something that a rare few even knew existed and that scared her more than anything else ever had before. So she did the only thing she knew how to do and closed herself off before he could get any closer. "Someday, Lucas… but not today."

The way his blue eyes looked at her, Brooke swore that he understood. For whatever reason, it made her want to protect him even more.

"So do I get to pick the station on the radio?" Lucas asked while reaching for the door handle. Gratefully, Brooke smiled and waited until they were both sitting inside her car before she responded.

"As long as it isn't something depressing or weepy," she agreed and pulled out of the parking lot while Lucas turned the radio dials.

At the time, it didn't occur to either teen that Brooke drove to his house without first asking Lucas where he lived.


	8. Sway

**A/N: **_Hey everyone, thanks for all the great reviews! To those who wonder about the Brathan initiation, details will come eventually but it won't be for a while now. I always liked the idea of a friendship between them because they both had similar personalities. Um... a little bit of a **warning** for the end of this chapter. Nothing graphic or anything but some Brucas fans may not appreciate a bit of the dialogue. Just please give it a chance because it works itself out by the end of the chapter. _

_I'm not sure but I was thinking of posting another chapter today to make up for some of this one but I guess if this one isn't too terrible then I'll just wait until tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed!!_

* * *

**Chapter 8 - Sway**

_Sometimes, when you and I collide_

_I fall into an ocean of you, pull me out in time_

_Don't let me drown, let me down_

_I say it's all because of you_

_And here I go, losing my control_

_I'm practicing your name so I can say it to your face_

_It doesn't seem right, to look you in the eye_

Since the night of party, Haley had been wrestling with her conscience over the lie she told Lucas. In her opinion he deserved to know the whole truth about what had happened. Haley believed that he needed to know Brooke had been the one to come along and help him out of the Nathan's trap. She just didn't know how to tell her best friend that she hadn't been honest with him in the first place.

Thinking over the whole situation, it at first seemed like a good idea to wait and feel him out on the ride back from the Midnight Madness. She thought that maybe if she dropped a few hints, she would be able to gauge his reaction to the truth. But as she was preparing to leave for the night, one out of a few dozen pictures on her wall managed to catch her attention. It was at least a few years old and featured a girl with the same reddish brown hair as her own. Only this girl's hair was a little longer and her face was perfectly made up from the lipstick she wore to the smoky shadow that coated her eyelids.

The combination of blue, black and white stood out starkly against the plain white brick wall she had been placed in front of. The skirt was short, the top was cropped to just beneath her breasts.

She smiled a Mona-Lisa smile for the camera. As though she had a secret that no one else knew.

Suddenly Haley couldn't help wondering if her sister's secret had been the unfortunate initiation process that Lucas was now being subjected to.

Two years before Taylor James had been the captain of the cheer squad. Then she had been a senior while Haley was just a lowly freshman that kept her distance from the others that wore letter jackets and cheerleading uniforms. The popular people who had been her sister's closest friends.

It was something that happened consistently for years, Brooke had declared. A tradition, however cruel it was, that had been in place since before they were all born.

Looking at the old cheerleading picture of her sister, Haley considered the likely probability that Taylor had also been an active participant before graduating from Tree Hill High.

-----

"Hey Hales. I missed you last night," Lucas greeted as he slid into an empty seat across from his friend. "What're you doing with that?" Lifting it up slightly from the spine, Lucas shot his friend a curious look when he noticed it was a yearbook from two years prior. The picture of Tree Hill High embossed into the blue cover revealed it was one of the school's and obviously borrowed from the library.

"Oh, it's um… research," Haley answered vaguely and slammed the book shut before Lucas could see which pages she'd been flipping through. "About last night, I'm sorry I didn't make it. I planned to but something came up and by then it was too late to call and let you know," she explained.

Guilt continued to course through her in waves for another half truth she told. Brooke Davis' arrival at the Tutor Center a few seconds later didn't help things either. Haley was instantly reminded of her dilemma the night before while the only consolation was that neither Lucas nor Brooke saw one another as she disappeared behind the stacks. Most likely to check the extra assignments' shelf where teachers usually placed a set of questions or notes that would help the tutees better understand the week's lessons.

"I know you just got here and again, I'm sorry about last night. I want to hear all about the game and everything but I really have to go," Haley rushed to say and quickly gathered up her papers and books. "Why don't we meet up later after your practice? Say around six at your house," she suggested hastily.

"Sure thing, Hales." There was confusion on his face but he didn't question her further.

"Great. Bye."

As the door closed behind her, Brooke appeared from within the stacks, carrying a set of pages in her hand. Eyes down, she was busily trying to stuff them in her bag rather than paying attention to what was right in front of her. Neither did Lucas when he got up from his seat and caused Brooke to run straight into him.

It was like déjà vous from the previous week only this time it was Brooke. She snagged her heel on the carpet when she bumped into him and fell forward before she could catch her balance.

Reflexively, Lucas reached out to keep her from falling by wrapping his arms around her waist.

The papers flew up into the air around them, slowly raining down until they landed on the old carpet. "I should bump into you more often if it means we'll end up like this," Brooke teased, grinning when Lucas laughed embarrassedly. He figured he should be used to her flirtatious attitude after the twenty minutes worth of conversation they had in her car the night before. It seemed as natural to her as breathing but Lucas still found himself feeling a little uncomfortable about it. Probably because he wasn't used anyone being as open with their comments as Brooke Davis was. "I'll stay like this with you all day if you want but we should probably take it somewhere more private," her low voice declared with a pretty smile lighting her face as he realized how intimate they looked.

Pressed up against his body, her palms laid flat against his chest and felt his heart beating quickly beneath her hands. Lucas' fingers grazed the smooth skin between her shirt and the waistband of her jeans but he wasn't sure how they'd ended up there.

"Sorry," he quickly apologized and released his hold, much to Brooke's disappointment.

"Don't be," she grinned and bent down to pick up the fallen papers. "I'm not."

He laughed and bent down to help. "It's kind of weird you know," he said, almost to himself. "We never talked before. Actually we never even really saw each other and now we seem to be in all the same places at the same time."

Whereas Brooke was a regular at the tutor center, Lucas rarely stepped inside of it. His conversations with Haley usually took place during lunch or after school. Sometimes during class if the lesson was boring and one of them had something important to say. Then in the halls, he hardly expected Brooke to stop and talk to someone she didn't know, no matter how friendly she was.

Now it seemed different.

Running into her at basketball functions was understandable. Brooke was a big part of the entertainment which naturally ensured she attended all games and events. Joining the Ravens also meant seeing more of each other in and around the gym, he realized. Not that he was complaining. "Well I've always seen you around," Brooke shrugged and thanked Lucas for his help.

Gratefully, she accepted the hand he held out as he pulled her up from the floor.

"We just never had anything to talk about before." Stowing the pages away, she made sure they were safely ensconced within her bag before looking back up at him. "I guess that isn't really the case now, huh?"

"I guess not," he agreed after silently acknowledging that while he'd also seen Brooke around school, there had just never been a reason to say anything to her. She was usually with Nathan, Peyton or one of her other cheerleading friends. Sometimes a guy from the basketball team but rarely ever alone.

"Hmm…" she said noncommittally. Nothing else could be said before the two were temporarily interrupted by the warning bell's ring. Its echoing sound signaled that they only had five minutes until their first class of the day. For Brooke that was Math and for Lucas, it was History.

Neither subject was particularly appealing to either

"I guess that's our cue. Thanks again for catching me," she said once the ringing had faded from the room. Almost instantly after, the door opened and admitted two more students that couldn't help looking at Brooke and Lucas as they passed. Smiling, she ignored them and placed her hand on his chest again so she could lean up and whisper in his ear. "At the next party… you _definitely_ have to play strip poker with us. Especially since I never lose."

With laughing eyes, she exited and left Lucas standing there speechless.

A full thirty seconds later, he laughed out loud and shook his head. It may have only been a few days since they first began talking but Lucas had to admit that Brooke was beginning to grow on him. From her teasing comments and smiles to the amusement in her eyes and conviction he saw in the hazel depths when she talked about his feud with Nathan. She was friendly enough but Lucas knew better than to get too close. It would only wedge her tighter into the middle of him and his brother, a place that despite her teasing, wouldn't be an easy space to occupy.

He just needed to remember it the next time they talked.

-----

When Haley showed up to see Lucas that night, her mind was still trying to figure out the right course of action she should take. The truth was what he deserved to know but Haley couldn't help wondering how much it might change things. Would he be angrier or more inclined to stay away from Nathan and his friends?

There were also strong feelings of hesitance because of the conversation she'd had with Brooke.

The pretty brunette had been adamant about what she believed was best. Strange as it was to admit, Haley knew that she'd have to take Brooke's word regarding certain things. She was the one on the inside and if her circle of friends decided to plan another prank, she'd know about it long before it happened. Haley had to believe that in that instance, her new ally would come forward to prevent it before things spun even further out of hand.

Thus, she felt locked in a stalemate.

There were reasons to keep quiet and an equally large amount of reasons to open up. In the end, she decided to continue waiting it out, hoping that nothing new happened to force the real story out of her.

"So you'll be playing with Keith tonight in the game?" Haley asked a few days later as she sat in Lucas' room, watching him pack up his gym bag. Bored, she began to toy with his jersey, tracing the letters with her finger. "Will your mom be there?"

"Yes.. and yes," Lucas agreed with a laugh. "What's been going on with you lately, Hales? Every time I see you it seems like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Is everything alright at home?" The concern she heard in his voice and saw on his face only succeeded in making Haley feel guiltier.

"No, everything's… everything's okay," she said and attempted a smile. "You know, I saw Brooke today. She was at the café getting her Friday brownie," Haley said in an effort to quickly change the subject before Lucas asked any more questions about her recent behavior. It seemed like the cheer captain's antics would be a good enough place to start. "She mentioned something about not being at the game tonight. Her or Peyton."

"But she's the cheer captain," Lucas reminded when something else Haley said registered in his mind. "Wait… what's a Friday brownie?"

Then it was Haley's turn to laugh. "Brooke's been coming into the café almost every Friday since the end of last term. And every time she always orders the same thing. One brownie," Haley explained and shook her head when she remembered how excited Brooke got when Karen set the pastry and it's napkin on the countertop. Without fail, it was the same goofy expression each week when she took her first bite. "Either way, I'm guessing that Peyton won't show up to the game since the cheerleaders have the whole mother/daughter thing and Peyton doesn't…. well, doesn't have a mom. I'm not sure about Brooke though. I figured it wasn't my place to ask."

"Maybe she's boycotting it for Peyton," Lucas guessed. "Not showing up because her best friend doesn't have anyone to go with."

"Yeah, speaking of… you never did answer my question last week," Haley said as she jumped at the chance to find out more about Lucas' intentions. Especially since they seemed to keep him so closely tied to those who seemed the most determined to hurt him. "Do you still have a think for Peyton?"

Lucas expected that the subject would come up again, he just hadn't known when Haley would get around to it.

So he shrugged and to Haley he seemed like he wasn't going to elaborate. Then for whatever reason, his hands ceased their packing movements and he turned to face his best friend. "Yes and no. Mostly no," Lucas answered and paused, leading Haley to believe that she was wrong and that he wasn't through with the explanation. "For the last couple of years she's been like this… well, this unattainable and mysterious girl to me. You know?" Words were his biggest strength but now he seemed to be struggling for the right ones he needed to express the reasoning behind his feelings. "I see her in the halls with certain CD's or books in her hand and I notice that what few things I _do_ know about her seem to be similar to certain things about myself. We have a lot of the same tastes. A lot in common. And she's... attractive."

Shaking her head, Haley hoped to hear a 'but' thrown in there soon.

"If you want a pretty face, there are plenty of them out there that don't come with a vindictive basketball player attached."

"Funny, Hales." But he wasn't laughing. Instead Lucas appeared to be back in the clouds with his thoughts again. "It's sort of different now, though. I'm seeing things that either weren't there before or things that I just _couldn't_ see. Like the extremely bitchy comments she makes to her best friend in between classes. The eye rolling and the smirking and the glares. It's like she has this other side that I'm now getting to see and it isn't a pretty one. It's definitely not a nice one."

Lucas had been surprised the first time he witnessed Peyton yelling at Brooke for something. There had been so much anger on her face and in her words but Brooke never lashed back. She listened to Peyton and then walked away.

"A girl that's able to date and put up with Nathan Scott for so long has to be a bit of a bitch," Haley said, silently pleased that her friend was finally see how bad of an idea it was to go after the blonde cheerleader. "You know, Luke… I'd never tell you who to like and who not to like. I mean… I know that's not even possible because the heart wants what it wants. But I'm just worried that you're digging yourself this huge hole to climb out of and going after Peyton while you're at it just seems like an extra effort that you don't need."

For as long as she had known about his crush, Lucas knew that Haley didn't approve. She never came right out and said it but it was obvious that she believed he could find someone better than the least cheery cheerleader on the squad.

"I know," he quietly acknowledged. "I wouldn't worry about me, though Hales. I'm realizing that maybe I didn't actually like _her_ but it was more like the _idea_ of her. Someone that I thought I'd be able to talk to because of similar interests. Someone that wouldn't look at me and see Dan Scott's forgotten son or Nathan's brother like everyone else does. But after everything that's happened lately, I know that Peyton isn't that girl. I'm pretty sure that she never was or ever could be."

While Haley sighed, sounding more relieved than she was willing to admit for fear of offending him, Lucas' mind wondered about a different cheerleader. One who's smile he'd been unable to get out of his head since bumping into her earlier in the week. The girl who, according to Haley, had to have her Friday brownie.

Unfortunately Lucas also couldn't help but wonder if spending time with Brooke would be asking for as much trouble as his crush on Peyton had. He hoped not.


	9. She Will Be Loved

**A/N:**_ Hello everyone! Glad that most of you are still sticking with me here. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and the next so I hope you'll enjoy reading it just as much. Especially since this one is all Brucas. But don't worry Brathan and Baley friendship fans, there's more of that to come._

_Enjoy!  
_

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**Chapter 9 - She Will Be Loved**

_Tap on my window, knock on my door_

_I want to make you feel beautiful_

_I know I tend to get so insecure_

_It doesn't matter anymore_

_It's not always rainbows and butterflies_

_It's compromise that moves us along_

_My heart is full and my door's always open_

_You can come anytime you want_

Shooting baskets at the Rivercourt had always been therapeutic for Lucas. There was something about the silence of night save for the gentle lapping of the water as it drifted by. Lights from the town seemed to fade into the distance as though they were much farther away than they should have been.

It was a home away from home. The place where his love of basketball first began.

So it would have been no surprise to anyone who knew him that he had walked over after the father/son game at the gym.

The night's events consisted of constant berating from both Dan and Nathan. Though Keith had stuck up for him every time, Lucas couldn't deny that it stung and the only balm for the tortuous game had come in the final seconds. With a clean slate, the next basket was set to win the game. Sons had the ball and when Nathan went up for the shot, Dan had body checked him so hard it took several moments for him to make his way up off the floor.

For just a second, Lucas had felt a little sorry for his half-brother.

But all too quickly, he remembered how Nathan had done nearly the same thing to him at the Midnight Madness. Suddenly he couldn't bring himself to feel too sympathetic and when the game had been won by the fathers, Lucas walked into the locker room without a word to either. Afterwards Keith had tried to get him to go back to the café with him and Karen for a late dinner but all Lucas really wanted was to be left alone for a while. Too many thoughts were swirling around in his mind as he contemplated how much different and probably worse things could have been if Karen had ended up with Dan instead of Deb.

They were thoughts he didn't particularly want to dwell on for long so when his cell phone began to ring, it was a welcome distraction.

"Hello?" he answered, not recognizing the number on his ID screen.

"Dude! The whole team's down at the beach. Where are you?"

Holding the phone away, Lucas tried to put some distance between the yelling voice and his ear. "Tim?" he asked uncertainly.

"Who else?" the point guard asked, confused. "Anyways, get down here, man. We got some booze and all the chicks are in their bikinis. You _don't_ want to miss it," he informed but the hint of a slur Lucas heard in Tim's voice led him to believe that his teammate was already halfway to being drunk. It had only been an hour since the end of the game but obviously they hadn't wasted anytime drowning the memory of their loss with kegs of beer and bottles of vodka.

"No thanks. I had enough partying last weekend to last me until the end of the season," Lucas declined and held the phone between his ear and shoulder as he put up a shot from the free throw line.

"Dude…" Tim began to protest when he was abruptly cut off by a rustling on the other end.

"Hey handsome. How about you put the ball down and come on out to the beach?" Brooke's raspy voice greeted. "We were all about to take off our clothes and jump into the water but I wouldn't mind waiting until you showed up," she teased and despite the mood he had been in, Lucas couldn't help but laugh.

"And give Nathan and the others a chance to take my clothes while I'm in the water… no thanks." At least it sounded like something they would do given that they had no qualms about spiking his drink the weekend before. "I'd rather just stay where I am tonight." Haley's words from the previous week flooded his mind when he thought about Nathan's reaction if Lucas showed up. _Nathan's gonna blow a gasket._ It seemed to ring true in both instances.

"Then how about you just hang out. No booze, no naked swimming… just hanging out with us out here in the sand," Brooke propositioned, clearly not willing to take no for an answer.

"I can't. I'm at the Rivercourt and I've been shooting around for a while so I'm all hot and sweaty," he excused.

"Two very sexy things to be," Brooke teasingly moaned. Lucas could hear the grin in her voice. "I'll pick you up in fifteen minutes." The line went dead before Lucas could protest or get any words in edgewise. Groaning to himself for entirely different reasons than Brooke had, he bounced the ball hard once before shaking his head.

He couldn't just leave if she was on her way over and he doubted she'd be available to talk if he called Tim's phone back. That only left one option, as unappealing as it was given his recent history with the basketball team. Lucas only hoped that the guys wouldn't try to make this party a repeat of the previous one. Not that he had much faith in their character for that matter.

-----

With all talk radio filling the inside of her small car, Brooke drove down the quiet streets from the richest area of town to the Riverside Park. Virtually empty, it was easy for her to spot the court Lucas mentioned and drove up to the edge where the grass met the slab of concrete. "I'm glad you weren't exaggerating about the hot and sweaty part," Brooke greeted with a smile as she got out of her car and leaned against the door.

For the night she had worn a white mini skirt and a thin yellow halter top. It was bright and almost cheerful as it contrasted with his black wind pants and blue t-shirt. "Not that I don't appreciate the effort to come pick me up, but I'm not sure about the whole party thing," Lucas admitted while tossing the ball up and down in the air.

"See, that's not fair," Brooke pouted in response. "Last week I never even got to see what you were like in a party setting."

Lucas would have rather not been in that setting again. But he didn't tell Brooke that and tried not to think about how much had changed from one weekend to the next.

Seven days before he had agreed to show up in the hopes of seeing Peyton. He went outside and drank because Peyton did. Then because of it, he had ended up drunk, apparently wandering around in the middle of nowhere with no recollection of how he got there or what had happened next. Having Haley fill in the blanks was the only reason he knew what had happened at all. "Tell you what," Brooke added when she noticed his reluctance. "I completely suck at basketball but if you pick a spot on the court, I'll stand there and take a shot. If I miss… you don't have to go the party and I'll just drive you home instead. But if I make it, you have to come with me," she propositioned.

Slowly walking towards him, he noted the strappy high heels she wore and the way the wind gently blew her hair in her face.

"Deal?" she asked and kinked her brow in a silent gesture of challenge.

Brooke Davis was persistent, Lucas would give her that. He also didn't think it was possible for her to sink a shot dressed the way she was. The assurance that basketball wasn't at all her sport also helped to sway him in the direction she wanted. "Okay," he agreed and smiled when she grinned widely.

"Then pick a spot, superstar. I have a basket to make."

Looking around, Lucas decided on a simple shot directly in line with the basket. "Free throw line," he said and led Brooke to his spot of choice.

"How do I…" she trailed off, biting her lip gently between her teeth when he handed her the ball.

"Come here," Lucas said and turned her to face the basket. Standing behind her, he positioned Brooke's hands on the ball and lifted her arms a bit to show her the correct way to shoot. "Just bend your legs a little," he quietly added. Gentle fingers gathered her hair and held it back a little when the wind continued to blow it in front of her eyes. "You could always aim for the backboard above the rim and just bank it in," he coached in a voice that sounded like a whisper against her ear.

Brooke couldn't help but shiver while Lucas mistook it as a sign that she was cold.

"Take your shot," he encouraged and walked backwards to the benches behind him where he'd discarded the gray hoodie he brought along.

"Okay." Taking a deep breath, Brooke squared her shoulders and tried to remember Lucas' instructions.

With as much strength as she could muster, she bent a little and then released the ball from her hands. Eyes riveted, she watched it sail through the air towards the basket. Excitement quickly turned to disappointment when it bounced on the rim before falling off to the side. "I missed," she said, half-heartedly. "Looks like no party tonight for you."

Lucas couldn't say he was disappointed by this prospect but he didn't like the sad expression Brooke wore. "Maybe you were just cold," he shrugged and handed her the pullover. "Try this and then take another shot," Lucas offered, watching her glance between his face and the sweater before she finally smiled a small smile.

"Thanks." It was said so quietly that he almost didn't hear her response.

Carefully, Brooke pulled it over her head while the halter top she wore rode up dangerously high. Lucas tried not to stare and coughed to give him an excuse to turn away before Brooke noticed. "Better?" he asked. The gray material was soft and smelled like Lucas' cologne. Blue paint spelled out the logo for his uncle's body shop, the place he sometimes worked at when Keith needed an extra hand.

She had seen him wear it plenty of times before which probably accounted for how comfortable it felt against her skin.

"Better," she agreed and went to retrieve the ball from where it had landed in a patch of grass.

Again, Lucas tried to avert his gaze as she bent over and the skirt hiked up along the back of her thighs. He wasn't sure if she was doing it on purpose to tease or test him though he wouldn't have been surprised by it. From what he knew of her, she enjoyed attention and was genuinely amused by it when it came from him.

Five shots later, with a little more help from Lucas, Brooke finally managed to sink the shot.

"I made it!"

With an excited laugh, she launched herself at Lucas and wound her arms tightly around his neck. She jumped up and down a little but when his arms wrapped around her waist, she settled into the comfortable embrace. "You did it," he acknowledged with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Smiling, Brooke relished the moment before convincing herself to pull back and a little. When she glanced up at him, it was with a teasing look. "So who won then? You are me?" she asked in an effort to keep her mind off other things. Namely the safety she felt with his arms around her. The way Lucas hugged back had been strong but gentle and was an extremely dangerous thing to think about. So was the remembrance of his hard chest pressed against her breasts or the way he leaned down a little to accommodate her much shorter frame.

"I'm pretty sure _I_ did," Lucas said after squinting his eyes in thought.

"Bummer," she pouted. "I was looking forward to getting you naked in the water," Brooke said with mock disappointment.

"Somehow I think you'll survive," Lucas retorted dryly.

"Fine," Brooke sighed dramatically. "I guess a deal is a deal. I'll drop you off at home if you're ready to go now," she offered and hid her genuine disappointment that the night was over. Even more reluctantly, she stepped completely out of his embrace and pushed her hair behind her ears to buy some extra time. "After all, I don't want you missing Conan O'Brien or Letterman or whatever it is you watch late at night," she mocked good naturedly.

"Wrong on both accounts," Lucas declared. Ball in hand, he walked alongside her to the car. Though he rarely ever saw her in blue, besides her bag, Lucas decided that the car and its color suited Brooke's personality perfectly. "I watch the highlights on Sports Center," he informed and surprised Brooke when he reached for her door handle. She was sure she blinked, stunned stupid for a moment before shaking it off.

"Thanks."

Her smile seemed nervous, tentative even. Lucas couldn't understand why but he also didn't know that the boys Brooke had dated in the past weren't nearly as polite as he was. They didn't open doors or move aside so that she could walk by first. Instead their kind gestures were getting up to get her more to drink, hoping that if she had enough alcohol in her system she would agree to sleep with them.

The only other guy that had ever opened her door for her had been Larry Sawyer. He was Peyton's dad and always opened the door for both girls whenever he took them somewhere as children. The best habit for a guy to have, he said, aside from remembering to not leave wet towels on the bedroom floor.

At the time, neither she nor Peyton understood what he meant but they eventually realized that he used to drive her mother crazy by leaving wet items discarded around their bedroom after a shower.

"So I guess you can pick the music," Brooke invited while driving down the little path to the road. "Just nothing too…"

"Depressing or weepy," Lucas finished for her. "I got it," he smiled while going through the stations, searching for the one his mother usually listened to in the café.

"This is cheesy," Brooke couldn't help but say when Adam Levine began to croon through her speakers. "I should have said nothing depressing, weepy or _cheesy_." Or maybe it wasn't because she thought it was cheesy but because it made her sad. _She Will Be __Loved_ seemed like the kind of song that was meant to be sweet but ended up being about unhappiness. At least Brooke thought so.

"Not really," Lucas argued lightly. "The guy and the girl in the song obviously both have issues but he put all his aside to help her through hers. I wouldn't say its cheesy but actually kind of… I don't know… hopeful, maybe."

"Which becomes depressing because things like that don't happen in real life, Lucas." It was one of the few times she had actually called him by name instead of one of many flirtatious endearments. "Guys don't usually care what's going on in a girl's life as long as it doesn't stop him from getting laid. So the broken girl ends up staying broken because she doesn't know how else to be and she doesn't have anyone around to show her either."

The words tumbled out before she could stop them.

"Sorry," she mumbled, embarrassed.

When his house came into view, Brooke couldn't have been more grateful. Lucas hadn't said anything after her outburst and she wondered if he was just as eager to be home as she was to have a few minutes of silence to gather her thoughts. But when he turned towards her it seemed he wasn't nearly as freaked out as she had believed. "So technically, I did win but you also made a shot. So in a way we both kind of won," he said casually. "Why don't you come inside for a while?" Lucas invited. "Kind of like a compromise. We hang out, just not at the party."

"I'm not broken, Lucas," she immediately said in no uncertain terms as she mistook the invitation for pity.

"I didn't say you were." Soft spoken and staring straight into her eyes, it was obvious that he wanted her to trust what he said.

Like thoughts of their hug and the way she enjoyed it, going inside with him was a dangerous idea. Lucas was good, despite Brooke's efforts to believe all guys were scum. Her self defense mechanism had kept plenty of boys at bay in the past but it refused to turn on whenever she was around the blonde haired athlete. And that was reason enough to be scared because she already liked him. She didn't know if she could handle learning to trust him too.

"Sure. Why not," Brooke shrugged like it was no big deal.

Cutting the engine, she reached for her purse and deposited the keys inside. Attempting a smile, she followed him up the steps to the porch and into the room. Brooke tried not to think about the night she spent with him, sitting vigil until the early hours of morning because she wanted to make sure he was okay first. "Nice wallpaper."

His eyes narrowed while Lucas pretended to be offended before a smile eventually won out. "Why don't you sit down and I'll go get us something to drink?"

"Oh, I see. You wanted to have our own little private party here," Brooke flirted as she sat on the bed and crossed her legs slowly. "You should have just said so back at the court. I would have brought you home sooner."

"Actually I was thinking more along the lines of a soda, not that the offer isn't tempting," Lucas admitted and left Brooke glancing at the book titles on his shelves from where she sat.


	10. True Colors

**A/N:**_ Hi everyone! I'm so glad that you liked that last Brucas chapter. I can honestly say that from this point on, there'll be no talks of a leyton crush! Now, again... some of you might end up hating Nathan or Peyton for their constant behavior but please remember that they have their reasons too and also that I'll try to fix it before the story's over! _

_Thanks for all the reviews and I hope you continue to enjoy it!!  
_

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**Chapter 10 - True Colors**

_You with the sad eyes_

_Don't be discouraged_

_Oh, I realize_

_It's hard to take courage _

_In world full of people_

_You can lose sight of it all_

_And the darkness inside you_

_Can make you feel so small_

Lucas and Brooke were still laughing when the credits to _Weird Science_ began to roll. Having seen it at least a few dozen times each, they spent the movie parroting the dialogue back to each other, laughing in between lines. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of that one," Brooke said once they'd quieted enough to talk.

In addition to the sweater of his she still wore, Brooke had wrapped a blanket around her legs to cover them as she sat Indian style on his bed. At some point she had also wound her hair up in a haphazard bun that allowed a few tendrils of brown hair to escape every time she shook with laughter. "Yeah, I know what you mean," Lucas smiled, thinking that she looked so innocent and carefree as she sat and talked with him. "My mom on the other hand… she hates it now because of all the times I watched it as a kid," he admitted, remembering how she groaned every time she heard the opening music.

Shrugging, Brooke appeared to be amused. "She doesn't know what she's missing."

"That's what I always tell her," Lucas replied, mirroring her shrug with one of his own.

"So did you wanna watch another movie or have I already kept you up past your bedtime," Brooke teased after a quick glance at his bedside clock. The numbers revealed that only a few minutes after midnight had gone by. Normally she'd be out at someone's house, drinking or laughing at someone else who had had just a little bit more drink she did. A game of poker would come up, most times for clothes but sometimes for money, depending on who was playing.

Tim would be belting out the words to some cheesy song like he was in a karaoke bar, all the while stumbling around and bumping into people. Nathan and Peyton would probably be fighting, winding down an argument in preparation of some good old fashioned make-up sex.

It wasn't as glamorous as the uninvited believed it to be. But it was her life and Brooke had learned to accept it.

"Are you sure you're not missing out on something else?" Lucas asked. Almost as if he sensed the direction her thoughts had taken.

"I'm pretty sure the guys on the beach can tap the keg on their own," she joked and waited for Lucas to laugh along with her. But the expression on his face remained serious, unmoved by her obvious humor. "Okay…" she said slowly. "Do I have bits of popcorn stuck between my teeth or something?" Brooke asked uncomfortably.

"Do you really enjoy it?" Lucas suddenly asked.

"I'd say that used to it is probably a better description," she admitted, quietly waiting to see where he was going with the abrupt question.

"So then why do it?"

"Because it's all I know," Brooke stated simply. "I've been going to these parties since I was a freshman. I'm not even really sure what I'd do on a weekend if I wasn't drinking and partying with my friends at the beach or at one of their houses." Two years didn't seem like a lot of time in the grand scheme of things but it was long enough to condition Brooke to a certain standard. Attendance was mandatory, crucial to her image despite the fact that she wasn't too partial to the way other people saw her.

"Tonight wasn't so boring, was it?" Lucas asked while Brooke figured out what he was leading up to.

"Not at all," she shook her head. "But there's a big difference between you and them," Brooke declared.

"Well my ego insists that I take that as a compliment," he smiled, and with that one gesture, he put Brooke completely at ease. She swore that he could see how much she _didn't_ want to delve further into her extracurricular activities and as grateful as she was for his understanding, it also made Brooke a little nervous. She wasn't used to someone being so perceptive about her thoughts. Most people took the things she did and said at face value but Lucas seemed to be the type of person who didn't settle for anything less than everything. "If you're sure you don't have to get home or back to the party, we could probably fit another movie in," he added after watching several thoughts play out across Brooke's face.

"Sounds perfect, baby."

The seriousness which shone through her features was replaced by something entirely more comfortable to Brooke. Flirting.

"Well since you picked Weird Science, I guess that means it's my turn," Lucas decided and began digging through a small collection of movies that had been stored away on a bottom shelf. "Matrix or Braveheart?" he asked, holding up both boxes for her to choose from.

"Seriously?"

Brooke sounded so utterly disinterested that Lucas couldn't help but laugh. "Braveheart it is then," he declared after guessing that Brooke might appreciate the drama of it a little more than she would the sci-fi nature of the Matrix. "But since you seem to enjoy making deals so much, I'll make one with you now. If you don't like it, you can pick the movies next time without a complaint from me."

It was as if he said it without thinking and momentarily surprised the nervous brunette. "Next time?" she asked in a small voice.

"Huh? Oh… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just assumed that…" he lowered his head, sorry that he had jumped the gun and made her feel uncomfortable.

"No," Brooke quickly interrupted. "It's not a problem, I just… I don't know. I guess I thought that maybe it was just a one time thing to make up for the whole bet and party deal." She didn't like feeling insecure about anything but with Lucas she couldn't help the unfavorable emotion. He was special and not at all like the other guys that had been in and out of her life throughout her previous two years in high school.

Turning away, Lucas put the DVD in the player and didn't utter a single word.

Brooke began to wonder if she had said the wrong thing before he resumed his place beside her on the bed. But he was different this time and he didn't reach for the remote to push play. "Lucas?"

"I underestimated you," he said suddenly.

Not missing a beat, she shrugged at the comment and said, "It's okay. Most people do."

"And I'm sorry for that," Lucas said with sincerity shining from his beautiful blue eyes.

"Don't be," Brooke interrupted before he could say anything else. "I am what I am and I like what I like," she said simply. "That's just me and I can't complain about the impression it leaves. Because I _do_ drink, Lucas. I go out and party and spend time with boys and when people see that, they assume whatever they want to about me," she admitted in a moment of vulnerability. "I can't change it and I can't blame them for it either. Even you."

Nodding, Lucas mulled over her words before surprising her once more. "So then who are you? Away from the assumptions and false impressions, tell me who the real Brooke Davis is."

_A coward who hides behind her status_. It was what her mind screamed for her to say but her heart couldn't bare the rejection she may feel if she told Lucas about her past. "I don't think I can give you an answer. I think it's just something you have to figure out for yourself… assuming you want to try and do that."

Her perfectly constructed mask stayed firmly in place but there were cracks in the veneer that allowed Lucas to see small traces of her insecurity. He wasn't sure why those traces existed at all but he did know that he didn't want to add to them. "I want to try and do that."

Brooke was stunned speechless.

-----

When Haley asked Lucas what he had done the night before, he simply told her that he had watched a couple movies after the game and then fell asleep. It wasn't a lie. He just didn't mention that Brooke had been with him while all this took place. Not because he was embarrassed, or because he assumed Haley would get the wrong impression. No, Lucas kept it a secret because he had a strange feeling that Brooke had just let him in on a part of herself that very few people, if any, ever got to see. And he wanted to keep that for himself for just a little longer.

But while he was talking and enjoying the weekend with his best friend, Brooke was busy trying to console hers.

"I hated it but I still managed to convince myself that I was okay with Nathan not knowing," Peyton said in a frustration laced voice. She paced the length of her bedroom, unable to sit still with all the angered energy bouncing around inside her body. "So what if he never asked about her, right? But to see him with _Theresa_! Of all girls and of all days… god, it was like he knew exactly what to do to break my heart into a million pieces," she screamed and grabbed the nearest object to hurl against the wall.

Brooke just barely sidestepped the collision that resulted in several shards of broken glass raining down on the hardwood floor. "I hate him. If I never see either of them again, it'll be too soon." Expletives that would have put a drunken sailor to shame began to flow freely from her mouth, unaware that she had almost just assaulted her best friend with the vase. A large clear one that was now empty after once housing the first flowers Nathan ever gave her.

"Has he tried calling?" Brooke queried, searching for something that would calm her broken friend.

"I don't know," Peyton shrugged. "I took my phone off the hook and turned off my cell after I called you."

The drunken hookup, while despicable all on its own, couldn't have come at a worse time.

On the anniversary of her mother's death, Peyton had been feeling sad and disconnected from everyone, save Brooke. The brunette she had been bitching about and to was the only one who knew what significance the day held. She was the one who stayed home from the charity basketball game to keep Peyton company and then encouraged her to go down to the beach for the latest bash. Only Brooke hadn't stayed at the party for long before disappearing to some unknown location.

Though Peyton wouldn't admit it, in some ways she blamed Brooke for her current state. She believed that if it hadn't been for her friend's insistence, she never would have walked in on Nathan and Theresa going at it in his father's beach house. In other ways, she was grateful to have finally learned the truth. Something that would finally give her a much needed push to end things with Nathan for good.

"And as if walking in on them wasn't bad enough… Ashley said it wasn't the first time either," Peyton said with a humorless laugh. "Apparently Theresa felt the need to brag about it after the two of them hooked up last weekend. He told _me_ to go home and then spent the night with her in one of Tim's guest bedrooms."

"He's an ass," Brooke stated loyally.

She was prepared for more crying, more yelling and more threats of bodily harm but what Brooke hadn't anticipated was Peyton's sudden request. "What was his initiation?"

"What?" she asked and shook her head, thinking that she had misheard her blonde friend.

"Come on, Brooke. Don't play games with me," Peyton said in a much stronger voice. "Everyone knows that the two of you got the worst hazing out of anyone because you were both freshman." Of course everyone knew that Brooke and Nathan's punishment had been different from any one else's but no one except for each other knew exactly what had taken place that night. It was why their hold over the other was much stronger than anyone else's. Each held the key to the other's most difficult memory but it was meant to stay locked away unless the need arose. A need that had everything to do with loyalty and nothing to do with revenge.

"I can't, Peyton." It was the one thing she couldn't do for her friend. Anything else… but not that.

"Yes you can, Brooke. Okay, Nathan needs to be punished for cheating on me with that slut and _you_ have the perfect ammunition to do it," Peyton declared, eyes blazing at the prospect of besting her former boyfriend. "You're my best friend. You have to help me with this."

"Yell at him, Peyton. Scream and insult him," Brooke said in a quiet voice that was filled with remorse. "Call him every dirty name you know and don't take him back when he begs," she instructed. "It's your right to do all of that and more if you want to but I can't tell you what happened to him back then. He has just as much on me and…"

"And Brooke Davis is more concerned about herself and her precious status as queen of the school than she is about her best friend," Peyton concluded icily. "I guess I should have known better than to believe for a single second that you actually cared about my feelings. Because you don't, do you? All you care about is protecting whatever sick secret the two of you share," she spat and hit Brooke harder with her next words than she ever could have with her hands or fists. "You're just like him anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if the two of you have been fucking behind my back all this time. Maybe that's why you're so concerned about all this crap with him and his brother."

At the mention of Lucas, Brooke's gaze went from surprised to hard. "Maybe if you weren't such a cold hearted bitch, Nathan wouldn't have to get his kicks from Theresa," Brooke shot back. Yet she didn't believe a single word she said. But because Peyton knew her weaknesses and how to exploit them, Brooke could only do the same.

"Speaking of drunken hookups, who was between _your _legs last night?"

Recoiling as though she had been slapped, Brooke felt a sadness fill her heart. Because as she stood there, staring into Peyton's green gaze, Brooke knew their friendship was falling apart all around them. "You know what, P Sawyer… I know that you're hurting because of your mom and what you saw last night just made it worse. So I'm trying really hard right now to not take your constant stream of bullshit personally," she stated unremorsefully. "Take a step back. We both will and I'll call you later," Brooke said, hoping that if given enough time, Peyton would let go of her plan to destroy Nathan with the truth of his initiation two years before.

"Tell you what, _B Davis_… why don't you just crawl back beneath the guy you were with last night and stay the hell away from me," Peyton declared strongly. "I don't need some pathetic little girl who stands head to toe in issues as a best friend. I have enemies who I'd rather spend more time with than I'd care to spend with you. So do us both a favor and go to hell!"

Holding back tears that threatened to fall as she listened to the harsh words, Brooke could only stand quiet until she trusted her voice enough to speak. "I've been there. Too many times in my life to count. Not that you remember anything about what my life is like. Not that you care that the very thing you want to exploit Nathan for… is the very same thing I went through," she whispered, smiling sadly when Peyton remained unmoved. "I can handle the heat and the pain and the penance for my sins. Can you say the same?"

-----

By Monday morning the news of Nathan and Theresa had quickly spread throughout the school. Peyton had been humiliated in the worse way by their cheating but what made it worse was that she had no best friend to stand by her side throughout it all. Brooke Davis had walked away and Peyton had only herself to blame for it.

"Will you just talk to her for me? Tell her I'm sorry or something," Nathan requested after hijacking Brooke from the cheerleaders she walked the halls alongside.

"Okay, first of all you'd _actually_ have to be sorry and second, Peyton and I would have to be on speaking terms," Brooke informed, briefly recalling the fight they had on the morning after the party.

At the time she had been feeling happy, if not a little sleepy. Brooke and Lucas had stayed up late watching Braveheart but halfway through the movie she had fallen asleep against him. Sprawled out on their stomachs, after nodding off Brooke somehow ended up curled around Lucas, preventing him from moving for fear of waking her up. So he stayed still and eventually fell asleep beside her.

The next morning Brooke woke up with the sunrise and took her time extracting her body from his.

Without saying a word, she grabbed her shoes and covered him with the blanket that she had obviously been unwilling to share throughout her slumber. Tiptoeing out, she made it to the porch and gently closed the door behind her. It wasn't until she was halfway back to her own house that she remembered to leave the gray hooded sweater behind.

Three hours later Peyton called and her day slowly went downhill from there.

Sunday had been just as uneventful and Brooke had no illusions that things would magically be alright again when they showed up for school. Too many ugly words had been said. "What happened?" Nathan asked warily.

"It doesn't matter," Brooke lied and glanced down the hall at oncoming students. In the crowd, she spotted a tall head of blonde hair coming towards her and she couldn't help but smile a little. Lucas. "Just stay away from her for now, Nate. She needs time to cool off and since you're obviously not sorry about cheating, talking to her now will only make it worse."

"It was just sex. It's not like it meant anything," Nathan defended.

"Then that's even worse, Nate," Brooke sadly replied. "You just threw away your relationship for nothing."


	11. Black Roses Red

**A/N: **_Wow! I was completely floored with all the great reviews!! I'm really glad you liked the last chapter. It's not a really big Brucas one but some important things happen and you'll have more Brucas tomorrow ;) Sorry to those of you who thought that Pathan was sad or that Peyton was a Btch but I'm glad you're enjoying the story anyway.   
_

_Again, thanks everyone who read and reviewed. Your comments were amazing!_

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**Chapter 11 - Black Roses Red**

_Can I ask you a question please_

_Promise you won't laugh at me_

_Honestly, I'm standing here_

_Afraid I'll be betrayed_

_As twisted as it seems, I only fear love with it's in my dreams_

_So let the morning light come and let the darkness fade away_

"That's game, baby," Skillz laughed after sinking the final shot. "Who's the superstar now?" he taunted good naturedly, causing Lucas to groan.

"Yeah, but look who got the girl," Mouth added, calling attention to the little blue car that was slowly driving up the path. "I guess Luke won after all," he laughed as Brooke Davis pulled to a stop beside the court. With her hair pulled up, dressed in jeans and a plain sweater, she still looked as beautiful as she did when she wore her skirts and fitted tops. A smile adorned her face while she walked towards the group of guys and when she got close enough, she lifted her hand in a polite wave.

"Hey guys," Brooke greeted, almost shyly. An expression Lucas had never before seen her wear.

"Hey," he said quietly and leaned down when she reached up to give him a brief hug. "Guys this is Brooke. Brooke, that's Mouth, Fergie, Junk and Skillz."

"Wow, suddenly my name sounds really boring," Brooke teased and smiled her dimpled smile at the guys.

"So are we on for another game or do you two got something going on?" Skillz asked while twirling the ball around in his hand.

"I'd love to watch, if you guys don't mind," Brooke shrugged easily, looking to each guy for confirmation before she settled on Lucas. He smiled down at her and accepted the ball Skillz passed his way. Together, the four walked back onto the court while Brooke sat at one of the benches with Mouth. "So you don't play?" she asked, glancing between the game and her new friend.

"No, I'm more into announcing," Mouth shook his head.

"Oh my god!" Brooke said suddenly, starling Mouth and the guys on the court. "Sorry," she grinned sheepishly. "Go on back to your game. I'm good," she assured and waited until their stares had returned to the ball before looking back at Mouth. His expression was still startled and she smiled, hoping to lighten him up a bit. "Okay, so we've been wanting to drum up a bigger buzz about the team since it's the best one we've had in like… I don't know, ten years maybe. Or at least that's what all the older people in town say but… I don't know, it doesn't matter. Anyway, so I've been brainstorming with Couch Durham, the Student Council President, Erica Marsh and Principle Turner. And one of our ideas was a live sports cast," she announced and stared at Mouth with an expectant look.

"A live sports cast?" he asked.

"Right," Brooke said excitedly. Her hands gestured wildly as she got further into the explanation, unknowingly scaring and amusing Mouth at once. "People would go to the school's website and there'd be a link or something on the sports page. Then they'd click on it and they could listen to a live play by play of the games. Which _you_ could totally do."

"Me?!"

This time it was Mouth's outburst the garnered the player's attention. That and Brooke's laughter as she caught sight of the deer in headlights expression he wore.

"Well you said you were into announcing, right? And we didn't already have anyone in mind so you can do it and save me the trouble of looking around for someone else," she smiled winningly. "See… win, win. Please?" With laughing hazel eyes and a dimpled smile, it was hard for anyone to say no to Brooke Davis. There was just something about her and denying anything she wanted made a person feel like the lowest form. "It'll be fun… I think."

"I…" he trailed off uncertainly and glanced over at his friends on the court. Lucas had been someone he met after transferring to Tree Hill in the fourth grade. Since then Mouth had sat on the sidelines for years and watched him and others play ball. It was their biggest interest and they were all good at it but Mouth knew it would never be something he did. Broadcasting, on the other hand, was an avenue he'd love to one day pursue and he supposed that everyone needed a stepping stone. The Tree Hill High sports cast would be as good as any other one, he guessed. "I'll do it."

"Really?" Brooke asked, smiling happily.

"Really."

"Oh that's great!" she gushed and threw her arms around him. "You'll have so much fun with it," Brooke assured, now sounding more confident while the blush staining his cheeks went unnoticed.

"Looks like Mouth got the girl now," Skillz said from where he stood on the court, looking between Lucas and Brooke.

"Actually, you're looking at Tree Hill High's newest sports announcer," Brooke informed with a pleased grin turning up the corners of her lips. "Well don't just stand there like I've grown a second head… congratulate your friend," she urged teasingly and could only smile when they all began calling out to Mouth.

Later, when Brooke drove Lucas home, he told her that she'd done a good thing. Marvin McFadden was a nice as they came but few people rarely gave him a chance because they couldn't get past his studious exterior. Often times it was the same thing with Haley. Only Haley had learned early on not to care about things like popularity and status. Mouth, on the other hand, obviously wished that he could find a bit of the spotlight for himself.

As a sportscaster, people would finally get the chance to hear just how great he was.

"I wasn't lying when I told him he'd be doing me a favor," Brooke shrugged as she tried to act like the offer hadn't been a big deal. "Besides, he seems really nice and dependable. He'll do a great job," she smiled briefly before returning her eyes to the road.

"Why do you pretend that none of it matters?" Lucas asked suddenly.

He thought about all the hours Brooke put in while she made banners to advertise for the charity game. The way she strong armed twice as many businesses to contribute. Twice as many than any other cheerleader or student council officer. The locker decorating she organized for the players and the fund raisers to get all the little Raven souvenirs that were passed out at Midnight Madness and then again at the Father/Son game later in the week.

But if asked, he doubted Brooke would admit to any of it.

As involved as she was in school activities, she took credit for none of it. Her greatest pride was being captain of the cheer squad and it was the one thing she was willing to admit. Everything else she did was put away in the back of her mind, unmentioned and in a lot of cases, unappreciated by those she helped.

"Well if you're talking about your friend, Mouth… I know that it matters to him. I'm not saying that it doesn't," Brooke denied uncertainly, misinterpreting his words. She had no idea where the quick question came from or how to really respond to it. "I just meant that I didn't do anything special. Like I said, he's the one doing me the favor."

Lucas didn't buy it but sensed that she was obviously uncomfortable with the credit he wanted her to take.

Brooke Davis was a bundle of contradictions. When it came to her looks and sex appeal, she had no problem flaunting it. Whereas the goodness inside her was locked away with no sign of a key. Briefly, Lucas couldn't help but wonder if Nathan ever got to see the Brooke she hid from him. The ease with which they talked led him to believe that she and Nathan had been close for a long time. Though Lucas had no clue how that friendship came about or how it had lasted as long as it had, he knew that it was something independent of the other people in their lives. Especially since he'd seen the two of them talking a few days earlier, even after news had gotten around about his split from Peyton.

Peyton.

A year before Lucas would have jumped at the chance to spend time with her now that she and Nathan were no longer a couple. But when word got around school, Lucas couldn't honestly say that he felt anything one way or the other. Sure he was sorry that she had been cheated on. It was never a good feeling to know that the person you loved was with someone else. But he didn't feel the desire to talk to her and he knew that the reason for his quick about face was the girl sitting beside him.

-----

"I'm in hell," Haley groaned as she barged into Lucas' room and flopped back on his bed. "I'm in tutorgirl hell."

Amused at hearing Haley mutter Brooke's nickname for her, he leaned back in his desk chair and regarded her curiously. "What's the matter, Hales? Is Tim still trying to get you to go out with him?"

"I wish," she muttered before groaning again. "Oh god, how pathetic is that? I'd rather have Tim hitting on me every day if it meant I didn't have to tutor Nathan," Haley stated, instantly wiping the smile off Lucas' mouth.

"Nathan?"

Swearing under her breath, Haley sat up from her place on the mattress and bit her lip, remorsefully. She had belated realized that the information should have been delivered bit more tactfully as opposed to the way she just blurted it out. "Look, before you say anything, let me just tell that I tried to get out of it, Luke. Okay, I tried everything I could think but the only way out is to quit my position and I just… I can't. I'm sorry," she apologized and waited through her friend's silence.

Sighing, Lucas ran a hand through his hair and said, "I'm not mad, Hales." The honesty in his eyes quickly dispelled the brunt her worry. "And it's not like I think the two of you are gonna fall in love and get married just because you're tutoring him a few afternoons a week," he added and took the time to think about how absurd the possibility was. From Haley's snort, she found the idea just as far fetched as he did. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Hales. Okay, you and I both know that he isn't above using you to get to me."

Acknowledging the validity of her friend's warning, Haley couldn't help but feel as though it was something she could handle. "I know that he might _try_. But there really isn't anything he could hold over me," she shrugged after taking a long hard look at the situation. "In this instance, he needs _me_, not the other way around. You know… without my help, he's going to fall and there goes basketball which I seriously doubt he's willing to let happen. So he'll behave. He has to or else I'll ruin any chance he has for a future in sports," Haley said simply but the grin on her face told Lucas how amused she was about the prospect. Let it never be said that Haley James wasn't a loyal friend. "So enough about your evil younger brother… where were you at lunch today? I looked for you in the quad."

Now it was Lucas' turn to glance away, fearful of how his best friend would react to his answer. "Actually, I was with… Brooke."

"Brooke as in Brooke Davis? That Brooke?"

"The one and only," Lucas acknowledged, nodding.

"Huh…" she grunted quietly, as though pondering the new development. "Okay, so then what? Are you two dating now or are you just… you know?"

Laughing, Lucas reached for the nearest pillow and whacked Haley in the face with it. "No, we're aren't… you know." But when faced with the question of what _was_ going on between them, Lucas didn't have a definitive answer to give. "And we aren't dating either, we're just hanging out. Is that so bad?"

"No," Haley shook her head, unknowingly filling Lucas with relief that she hadn't immediately jumped to disapproval. "I mean, don't get me wrong. She's decent… more so than I thought she would be," Haley admitted, thinking back to the night of the first party. "But she's Nathan's best friend and that seems like more of a complication than it was with Peyton."

"How do you figure?"

Shrugging, Haley toyed with the thread on his comforter, searching for the right words to explain her theory. "We both know the way Nathan is. Everything is at his disposal and everything is a possession. So with Peyton as his girlfriend, it wasn't like she was his equal, she was probably just another piece of property to him," she said, recalling all the rumors floating around school about the dark haired Scott's indiscretions. "And in a way it seems like that was Peyton's fault just as much as it was Nathan's because she allowed herself to be placed in that role. But Brooke is his best friend… almost like a sister and there's no way she'd ever be considered his property. _She_ is his equal and I can't help but think that he would take it worse if he lost her to you than if he had lost Peyton to you."

Closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair again, Lucas had the strangest urge to laugh out loud.

All his life Nathan had been given things that Lucas could never have.

As a child he had wanted his father but it became an impossible wish that slowly began to fade with time. Nathan had been encouraged to play basketball and lived in a large house with more money than he knew what to do with. There was the popularity, the cars, the admiration and his role as leader on the court. But none of those things mattered to Lucas anymore. He loved the game but he could live without it. He and his mother got by on the money she made from the café and Keith was a better father figure than Dan ever could have been.

Lucas was also beginning to learn that the popularity wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

"I'm gonna tell you a secret, Haley." The words came from some unknown place within himself and Lucas couldn't find the strength to hold them in any longer. "If you had asked me what I thought of Brooke Davis last year or even two months ago, I would have told you that she was just like everybody else. Nothing special, nothing that stood out from any of the other people in her group," Lucas admitted and the way Haley winced told him that it was a harsh enough assertion. "But today and yesterday, the day before that, and the day before that… if you were to ask me what I think of Brooke Davis, I would tell you that she's one of the most amazing girls I know. She's smart, even though she doesn't believe it. She's so beautiful and kind and funny and she has the biggest heart."

Haley could hear the alarm bells going off in her head long before Lucas finished his speech. It wasn't at all unexpected but Haley wasn't sure if it was right either. Not when the object of his affection was a girl who was up to her eyes in a world Lucas knew very little about. A world that was dangerous if got too close to it.

"Correct me if I'm wrong here," Haley began tentatively. "But it sounds to me like you're falling for her, Luke."

He smiled because he knew his best friend was right.

"I think I already have."


	12. A Moment Like This

**A/N: **_Yay! I'm so happy that everyone's enjoying all the little Brucas moments and the different friendship scenes ;) I think that after this part, your like for some and dislike for others may grow just a little (sorry about this dislike part)  
_

_Thank you everyone for all the great reviews! I love hearing what you have to say and... I hope you like this next one! _

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**Chapter 12 - A Moment Like This**

_A moment like this_

_Some people wait a lifetime_

_For a moment like this_

_Some people search forever_

_For that one special kiss_

_Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me_

_Some people wait a lifetime_

_For a moment like this_

Two weeks came and went and in that time, Lucas still hadn't worked up the courage to tell Brooke how he felt about her. It wasn't as if he hadn't had plenty of opportunities to say something. The two talked every day and hung out whenever they were both free. Though usually the time was spent watching movies and their topic of conversation usually consisted of basketball and school stuff. The pair had still yet to delve into anything overly personal because it seemed that anytime Lucas got too close to a particular subject, Brooke closed up like a clam. He wasn't sure why and respected her enough not to ask.

But because of the emotional distance, Lucas also began to second guess Brooke's feelings towards him. He wondered if maybe he was reading too much into their relationship. He thought that if she truly wanted something more with him, she wouldn't become so evasive any time he asked a question about her parents or her past.

"You're brooding."

Blinking, Lucas was brought back to the present with the sound of her voice. Yet the funny thing was that she hadn't even looked at him as she said it. Hazel eyes remained glued to the television, obviously enthralled with latest episode of 7th Heaven. _How odd it was_, he thought. He'd bet money that no one at school would have ever imagined that their cheer captain was a big fan of the hour long family show.

"Yeah, well you're cheery," Lucas shrugged, smiling as he tried to push the nagging doubts to the back of his mind.

"Of course I am. It's a new episode," Brooke stated, smiling quizzically when she turned and found him staring. "What's that look for, Broody? Still bitter that I'm a better card player than you?" she asked with a laugh. Not the small and polite ones that most people used when they were just trying to be nice but one filled with amusement. "Or do you still think it was a fluke?"

"I swear I saw you deal a few times from the bottom of the deck," Lucas defended, arms crossed over his chest as he played along.

"Keep telling yourself that, Luke," she teased and winked playfully before looking back at the TV screen. "By the way, do you…" Brooke trailed off as the lights and television went out, bathing the entire room in darkness. "Okay, this is going to sound really first grade of me but I _hate_ the dark. At least I hate it when it's so dark that you can't see a thing in front of your face," Brooke admitted and grappled around on the comforter for his hand.

Fingers intertwined, Lucas gave her hand a quick, reassuring squeeze.

"I don't think I had even noticed how hard it was coming down out there," he said as Brooke scooted closer until their bodies were side by side. Her denim clad leg pressed against his and without the distance to separate them, she linked her arm through Lucas', holding tightly to the sleeve of his shirt.

"Me neither," Brooke murmured and jumped up in surprise when the ringing telephone interrupted the peaceful silence.

"I should get that." Still clutching his arm, Brooke moved with Lucas as he got up to answer the call. "Hey, mom. Yeah, the power went out here too," he agreed and listened as she told him to stay put. Then Karen reassured her son by letting him know that she was safe at the garage with Keith. "I'll see you later, mom. I love you too. Bye."

Replacing the phone on its cradle, Lucas was about to ask Brooke why she hated the dark so much when her voice halted his question. "Do you want to go outside?" she asked suddenly.

"As in… outside where's it's raining?"

"No, I meant the other outside. The one that's all sunshine and roses." With sarcasm dripping from her words, Lucas couldn't help laughing at both her tone and the insane request.

"You're crazy, you know that right? We'll probably catch pneumonia or something."

"I know," Brooke said in a small voice. "But please?"

As bad of an idea as it was, Lucas seriously considered saying yes. If for no other reason than because Brooke genuinely seemed to want to. Since acknowledging to Haley that he had developed feelings for the feisty brunette, those feelings had begun to grow a little bit more each day. He knew that soon enough he'd be putty in her hands but first he needed to know something important. One thing that would prove he had a chance of eventually getting her to open up to him. That his feelings might someday be returned. "Tell me why you're afraid of the dark."

Sighing, Brooke's grip loosened but she stayed close by his side. Lucas could feel her warmth and hoped she wouldn't clam up again. "Because it reminds me of being alone," she said quietly.

Nodding, though she couldn't see it, he searched for her hand. "Well you aren't alone now, Brooke," Lucas whispered and felt her squeeze his fingers in acknowledgement. "Come on."

Karen would kill him later if he got sick after being out in the storm but Lucas couldn't bring himself to worry about that just then. Instead he led Brooke outside with her hand still firmly encased in his and closed the door behind them. "I love the smell of fresh rain." The fear he heard in her voice a minute before seemed to evaporate as they stepped out onto the equally dark porch. "It makes the grass and the flowers… even the dirt, smell clean." Suddenly her eyes opened and she smiled. A genuine smile that Lucas couldn't help but return.

Brooke Davis was definitely filled with surprises.

"Come on," she encouraged and led him down the steps, straight into the downpour. Arms out, she lifted her face to the sky while fat rain drops cascaded down her skin and stuck to her clothes. Brown hair became black as the water drenched it, not that Brooke cared about what she looked like in that moment. Yet even with her long strands of hair matted to her face and only faint hints of gloss clinging to her lips, Lucas couldn't help but think that she looked beautiful. "Come on, try it," Brooke enthused and looked over at him.

Her hands found their way back into his while she nudged his arms upward, mimicking her earlier stance.

"Do you always do this?" he asked above the thunderous rain shower that echoed throughout the empty street. Moonlight shone down on them, highlighting the features of their faces and providing a soft glow as the light caught the raindrops as they fell.

"Only when I'm with someone special," she said back and slowly met his gaze. A small smiled turned up the corners of her lips. "Never before tonight."

The clapping thunder rivaled the beat of his heart against his chest. For a moment, however brief, she opened her eyes to him and let Lucas see the depth she had been hiding.

"Brooke…" Gentle fingers pushed back the wet tendrils of hair so that he could take a closer look into her beautiful hazel eyes. The pads of his thumbs lingered on her skin, softly stroking the smoothness before he leaned in. Brooke didn't pull away and he closed the distance between them.

Lips tentative and wet, they met in a slow caress.

Brooke felt her breath hitch and her heart began to race. Slow, unhurried. They moved their lips together in a slow dance that only they knew the steps to. His tongue begged for entrance and she granted it, moving hers against his as he explored her mouth thoroughly. Clenched fists grasped onto the wet material of his shirt before traveling upwards to wind her arms around his neck. His fingers caressed the skin beneath her shirt as he wrapped his arms around her body. He held her close to him, convinced it was never close enough while he deepened the kiss.

An explosion of sensations erupted between them as they stood in the falling rain, their mouths moving together like they had all the time in the world.

-----

"Will you stop with the glaring already!" If looks could kill, Nathan would be six feet under after all the angry stares Peyton had been giving him all night. "Yes, I cheated on you. Yes, I'm sorry and yes, I get that you don't forgive me. What more do you want, Peyton? Some blood? Maybe my first born?"

"Right, like I'd really want your little demon spawn," Peyton bit back. "He probably wouldn't understand the concept of being faithful and would run out to get himself a new mommy. Because he'll have been born from cheater sperm!" she yelled, causing the ache in Haley's head to worsen with each passing second.

"Couldn't the two of you _please_ go to your separate corners or something? Say for a few minutes, an hour maybe," she propositioned. "Or at least until the earsplitting pain in my head has replaced itself with a dull ache?"

The faint light provided by a few lit candles revealed Peyton rolling her eyes. "If it's really so unbearable for you, why don't you just go sit in the back room by yourself? None of this concerns you anyway," she shrugged. As she spied the gesture, Haley was reminded of her conversation with Lucas. The way he described the other, definitely bitchier side to Peyton. Haley had to admit that her best friend hit the nail right on the head with his comments about the curly haired blonde.

"Why don't you shut up, Peyton. It's not her fault she's stuck here with us," Nathan defended. His words surprised both Haley and his ex-girlfriend as neither had ever seen him stick up for another girl that wasn't Brooke.

"I'm impressed, Nathan," she said once she'd gotten her wits back. "Only two weeks of working together and already you've gotten inside her pants. Can't say it's a record though considering how long it took for _me_ to let you between my legs," Peyton snarked while Haley could only gasp at the vile assumption. "Just so you know, you aren't special, honey. He'll screw any female with a pulse."

"Shut the hell up!" Nathan instantly lashed back. "You don't even know what you're talking about," he yelled, wondering if she should be angry for the things she said or guilty because he had been the one to make her so bitter. "Our problems are between us so quit being such a self righteous bitch to someone who didn't even do anything to you."

The crack of Peyton's palm hitting his cheek echoed in the room before either Haley or Nathan could blink. Both were stunned in silence and watched Peyton push the chair back from the table. "Don't make the same mistake I did. If he tries to make you feel like you're someone special, remember how many pairs of legs he's laid between over the years. I'm sure that'll be incentive enough to go running for the hills without a second thought."

With nothing else to say, the blonde retreated into the back stock room while Nathan and Haley both continued to sit silently. Neither was sure what to say, each a little embarrassed for the assumptions and insults Peyton had shelled out. "Wow," Haley breathed. "Either you're an ass, she's a bitch or you're an ass _and_ she's a bitch."

In spite of everything that had just been said, Nathan released a bellow of laughter.

"You did _not_ just say that."

"Oh, I said it alright," Haley replied, unable to hold in her own giggle of laughter. "And you are an ass, by the way. I just thought you should know that." It was said bluntly and with a hint of seriousness that had Nathan laughing all over again. _She had guts,_ he thought. Obviously a lot more of them than he had given her credit for. Something that he slowly began to learn throughout the two weeks she spent tutoring him after school.

Nathan wouldn't say that he liked her and if asked, he'd never admit it out loud, but there was something about her personality that seemed very attractive to him. Maybe it was the way she was able to pull of blunt without sounding like a total bitch. Or her obvious loyalty to those she cared about. The biggest example being the straight forward guidelines she set in place after agreeing to be his tutor. Namely the great pleasure she would take in dropping him so he could fail if he so much as looked at Lucas in the wrong way.

Not that Nathan listened to the advice that was really more like an ultimatum.

Still… her over protectiveness reminded him of Brooke and that was enough for him to give her a fair shake. If Haley was anything like his best friend, she at least deserved his cooperation.

"Yeah, well I'm sure her royal highness back there would agree with you on that one," Nathan admitted, sighing tiredly.

"You know… I know it's none of my business and if you were to ask me anything even remotely personal I'd have to smack you just like Peyton did, but… was she exaggerating? About all the girls you've been with, I mean?" Even as the words flew from her mouth, Haley was certain that she didn't want the answer. Mostly because she suspected he'd brag about his many conquests and she'd be stuck listening to porno tales.

"There've been plenty," Nathan acknowledged, partly because he felt he owed her for having to bear witness to another of his and Peyton's famous fights. Partly because he was bored and if he didn't talk, he wasn't sure what else he could do to pass the time. "But probably not nearly as many as she assumes. She's just pissed. Not that I really blame her."

"Well then why did you cheat?" Haley couldn't help but ask. To her, it was like a live soap opera with character commentary sitting in the chair right beside hers.

"Because I'm my father's son," Nathan replied simply, once again stunning Haley silent.

-----

"Quit worrying. The storm will break soon enough and until it does, you know that Lucas is safe at home," Keith reminded after watching Karen pace in front of him for what felt like the hundredth time. "Or is there something else on your mind?" he asked, this time garnering enough attention to halt the short brunette. "You're worried about what he's going to say, aren't you?"

"How could I not?" Karen asked, shrugging before she resumed the back and forth across the garage's concrete floor.

The flashlight Keith left standing on the ground emphasized the shadows on her face, revealing the concern she felt towards her son. "I've been around the two of you all his life, okay. He knows me and he knows how much I love him," Keith declared confidently. "I'm not some new guy that's gonna swoop in and take his mother away. He knows that and I think you aren't giving him enough credit if you think he'll be anything but thrilled."

"I know that he'll be happy for us eventually. I'm just worried about what he'll say once the idea is still new in his mind."

"I don't know, Karen but I can guess that he'll be pretty upset if he finds out how long we've been keeping this a secret. I'm sure that'll be what hurts him and not the fact that you and I are dating."

"I know," Karen repeated. "I know and I'll tell him. I will. I just need a little more time, okay? Do you think you can do that for me?"

With purposeful steps, Keith walked forward and took Karen in his arms. The smell of her perfume instantly wafted to his nose, causing him to sigh contentedly. "I love you, Karen and I'll do anything you ask. Even if it means keeping us a secret for a little while longer," Keith agreed and felt her relax against him, grateful for his understanding.


	13. Breathe

**A/N: **_Hi everyone! Well I'm glad that you all liked the kiss in the rain. Despite their flirtations, I wanted their first kiss to happen in a meaningful sort of way and I hoped I achieved that. Yes... Peyton definitely wasn't the nicest person in the last chapter but her story will come soon enough. I hope you all continue enjoying this story!_

_Thanks for reading and reviewing. _

* * *

**Chapter 13 - Breathe**

_I can feel the magic floating in the air_

_Being with you gets me that way_

_I watch the sunlight dance across your face_

_And I've never been this swept away_

_All my thoughts seem to settle on the breeze_

_When I'm lying wrapped in your arms_

_The whole world just fades away_

_The only thing I hear is the beating of your heart_

At some point during the night, the storm broke and allowed everyone who had been stuck in various places to finally make it back home. Karen felt tired and was half-asleep while she drove down the quiet streets. The tempting offer to go back to Keith's apartment instead continued to play through her mind. She had very nearly said yes but she knew she wouldn't get any sleep that night unless she was sure that Lucas had fared well throughout the storm.

Karen expected that he probably read a book by candle-light or had fallen asleep early. So it was a surprise to her, when she turned onto her street and saw a little blue car parked by the curb. With a sigh, she realized that her son's friend was still at the house. And knowing what little she did about the bubbly brunette, Karen wasn't sure what to expect when she walked through the front door.

The air was silent as she stepped into the deserted living room. It had Karen holding her breath, hoping for the best but expecting the worse as she quietly made her way to the end of the hallway. Slowly, so as to not startle anyone, she pushed open her son's bedroom door and found him curled up with Brooke Davis on the bed.

"Oh thank god," she murmured to herself and released the breath she had been holding. Relief flooded through her when she saw that both teens were fully clothed and lying above the comforter. Karen decided it was innocent enough and chose not to wake the two slumbering friends. The roads were still slick with rain water and the last thing she wanted was to send Brooke home in the middle of the night, half asleep and in such unfavorable conditions.

Back in her own bedroom, she thought about all the recent changes in Lucas' life and wondered how it would all work out.

A mother at seventeen, no one could accuse Karen Roe of being a prude. She knew what it felt like to be a hormonal teenager and though her son had always exercised good judgment in the past, a part of that was because Haley had really been the only female in his life. Aside from herself, of course. But things would be different now that Lucas was on the varsity basketball team. A position that ensured he would be surrounded by the cheerleaders and other girls who wanted the opportunity to date a star player. The kind of girls who usually didn't have much regard for the people they hurt as long as they got what they wanted.

It reminded Karen of her own time in high school. Just thinking about the way things had been throughout her four years made her nervous about Lucas' decision to join the Ravens.

As the former cheer captain and the ex-girlfriend to Tree Hill's top player, Karen knew the lifestyle that came with being an athlete or somebody who was close to one. There were the late night parties after the games, large amounts of drinking and sex whenever you could find the time and place for it. Debauchery was what her mother used to call it. Karen, or course, used to roll her eyes and wave away her mother's concerns. Now she could see what the older woman had been so worried about. Karen could only guess that it was worse now than it had been before.

The only real consolation was that the hazing had most likely been laid to rest once Whitey took over the team.

Karen didn't even want to imagine what sorts of things they'd do to Lucas if it still existed. Especially since Nathan was the captain of the team.

-----

The first time Brooke fell asleep with Lucas, she was concerned about sneaking out before he woke up. The morning after the storm, when her eyes fluttered open, her first instinct was to get up and leave again. She wasn't used to sleeping with someone beside her and worried about what Lucas would say at the sight of her still in his bed.

Then she remembered the kiss they shared out in the rain.

Her eyes closed as she relived the memory. Brooke thought about the feel of his body as he pulled her up against it and twined his hand in her hair. The thoughtful way he leaned down and into her, making up for her lack of height.

Lucas had kissed her for so long that when they finally separated to drag in gulps of air, her lips tingled and missed the feel of his against them.

The first time a boy dared to kiss her had been on the playground when she was ten years old. A few had followed throughout middle school and even more during her years at Tree Hill High. Yet no one had ever kissed her the way Lucas had. As if she was precious to him. It was reverent and passionate and made Brooke feel more in those fleeting moments than she had all the previous times combined.

And that scared her.

"Morning, boyfriend," she greeted with a smile when Lucas stirred beside her.

_He looked adorable,_ she thought as she propped herself up on her side. Blue eyes glanced up at her and his brows crinkled in confusion for just a moment before the events of the previous night came flooding back to him. "Morning, pretty girl," Lucas said and smiled as he gently ran his fingers down her face. Cupping her chin gently, he leaned in and placed a chaste kiss against her lips. "How'd you sleep?"

"Okay," Brooke smiled. "I should probably get going though. I don't want you to get in trouble with your mom or anything," she said, unaware that Karen already knew about her presence in the house.

"You could stay for breakfast," Lucas invited, not quite ready to let her go yet now that things were so good between them. "She'd understand, you know. Her and my uncle Keith got stuck at his garage and I doubt she would have wanted you to drive back home in the middle of a storm," he assured, hoping to quell whatever insecurities she was experiencing.

"Wow, you must really like me," she teased. "We just got together last night and you already want me to meet your mom." Kissing his lips again, she couldn't resist the urge to stay close to him for just a little bit longer. "Are you sure she won't freak if some girl comes walking out of your bedroom at… 7:30 in the morning?" she asked after consulting the bedside clock.

"Probably. But once she quits screaming and calms down, I think it'll be okay," Lucas joked back.

"Not funny," Brooke narrowed her eyes.

"I thought it was," he smiled but only for a moment before it slipped away and was replaced by a more serious expression. "It feels good being here with you like this."

Brooke smiled to hide the worry she felt. She wondered if Lucas would still feel the same way if he knew all the things she hid about her past. Would he still look at her so sweetly? "So… breakfast?"

"Come on," he said but the way he looked at her, Brooke could swear that he knew what she was feeling.

Dressed in the sweat pants that were way too big for her and a large t-shirt, both a loan from Lucas after they came in from the storm, Brooke followed him down the hall to the kitchen. The scent of bacon and eggs instantly greeted the pair and Brooke couldn't help the sad smile as she thought about her own house in the morning. There was no breakfast or smiling mother waiting when she got up. There was just silence and a maid dusting the living room furniture. "Morning, mom," Lucas said, calling attention to their presence.

"Lucas, when you get the chance will you change the bulb in the bathroom? It burnt out this… morning," Karen trailed off as she turned and caught sight of the short brunette standing there in her son's clothes. "Hi, Brooke. Did you get the chance to call your parents last night so they wouldn't worry about you not making it home?" she asked while Lucas felt his girlfriend stiffen beside him.

For the first time in as long as she could remember, Brooke felt a small blush creep up her cheeks. The fingers that held Lucas' tightened almost imperceptibly as she smiled sheepishly. "Um, actually they're out of town right now so I uh… they probably wouldn't have worried anyway," she finished, embarrassed.

Nathan and Peyton were the only ones who knew how often the Davis parents spent away from home. Mostly because Brooke used to camp out at Peyton's house when the silence became too much to bare. It was the same for her curly haired friend only Peyton never really minded the solitude. Or if she did, it never showed. "Well, why don't the two of you sit down for breakfast?" Karen invited after clearing her throat, remorseful that her question had caused the young girl such embarrassment. "We have bacon and eggs and I was just about to make some toast."

"I'll get the plates," Lucas volunteered, shooting his mother a grateful smile.

Turning around to start the toast, Karen continued on as though nothing was out of the ordinary. "It's Keith's turn to cook the turkey this year and I practically had to beg him not to make that same stuffing."

Groans came from mother and son while Brooke sat at the table, her chin propped in her hand, looking at the two with interested curiosity on her face. "What was it that he put in it two years ago?" Lucas asked, eyes squinted as he tried to remember. "Raisins, cornbread and…"

"French dressing," both said simultaneously and laughed at the memory.

"See, each Thanksgiving my mom and Uncle Keith take turns with the turkey," Lucas said as he realized they were leaving Brooke out of the conversation. "And that person has full reign over the menu. But while mom usually makes all the traditional stuff, Uncle Keith likes to try out new recipes he finds on infomercials in the middle of the night."

"It's like punishment for your taste buds," Karen added, laughing.

"Sounds fun," Brooke smiled. The contrast between her holiday and the one Lucas shared with his family was more than a mile long. Usually she spent the day hanging out in Peyton's kitchen, sharing bits of gossip and a bucket of chicken with her blonde friend. They'd complain about people from school, Peyton would get sad that her dad wasn't around and Brooke would get angry that her parents weren't either. Afterwards they'd drown their sorrows with a bottle of vodka and by the time they woke up the next morning, the holiday was forgotten and put in the back of their minds for the rest of the year.

Though Brooke knew that even if she and Peyton were back on speaking terms, the upcoming holiday would definitely be different come Thursday. For one, Larry Sawyer had called at the beginning of the month and assured his daughter that he'd be home for the week. Secondly because Brooke didn't think she could spend another holiday angry at her parents for their absence. It just took up too much energy that could be better used in other places.

Plus if worst came to worst, she figured she could always take Nathan up on his offer to spend the day with him. Not that the idea of being around Dan Scott all day was in any way appealing. But it was nice to be around family from time to time. Even if that family was completely dysfunctional. "That's because you've never tried his cooking," Karen smiled back. "Which is really funny because he bakes better than anyone I know. Come to think of it, those brownies you love so much at the café are made from his recipe," she said as an afterthought.

"Seriously? Those brownies are heaven. They're practically better than se-seven chocolate chip cookies," Brooke quickly covered, hoping that Karen didn't realize she was about to say sex.

"Hmm…" Lucas closed his mouth to keep from laughing. Karen, thankfully, didn't say anything about the slip.

-----

"So I spent the better part of my night playing referee for Nathan and Peyton," Haley said later that day as she and Lucas talked on the phone. He was on his way to the Rivercourt to get in a few hours of shooting around and maybe a game or two. What with practice on hold for the Thanksgiving holidays, he wanted to make sure he didn't get rusty during his time away. It would just be one more excuse for Nathan and his pals to give him a hard time. "Of all the people for me to get stuck in the café with during the blackout… I had to end up with the two who have the most stamina for arguing. Not to mention a true talent for bitchiness."

Haley thought about the continuous glares and snide remarks that came from Peyton's mouth throughout the hours they spent together. Most were directed at Nathan but a few had been aimed at Haley simply because she existed.

"And you were right about Peyton's _other side._ The girl has some serious anger management issues." The broken glass Haley had to sweep up and charge Peyton for was proof enough of that. "God, it was a nightmare, Luke. I can't imagine how it could have possibly been worse than it already was," she sighed.

While he listened, Lucas couldn't help think that Haley's night had been the complete opposite of his.

Whereas she had to sit through fights and insults hurled back and forth between Nathan and Peyton, he spent his night kissing Brooke.

After coming inside from the rain, Brooke was a lot less freaked about the dark. With their clothes and hair wet, they continued to kiss , exploring each other with their hands and mouths until the power came back on.

Brooke had borrowed a few things to change into and once they were both dry, they laid down together on his bed. She had smiled and asked him when he first realized he had feelings for her. When he parroted the question back at her, she had boldly admitted that her crush began long before he had ever joined the basketball team. Except back then, she knew he had a thing for her best friend so she never made a move.

Lucas had been surprised to say the least and a little saddened by how adamant Brooke was about the reasons behind their first conversation. She said she needed him to know that it hadn't been about trying to keep him away from Peyton for her own selfish reasons but because she truly didn't want anyone to get hurt. Of course he believed her, he only wished that she didn't feel the need to explain herself because he already knew that she was a good person inside.

Afterwards Lucas stroked her hair and told Brooke that he knew her intentions had been honorable. Then she listened to him talk about different books and the weepy, depressing and cheesy music he liked.

At some point her head found a resting spot against the crook of his neck and when his arms came around her, she had snuggled up against him.

Hours were spent talking and kissing before they both drifted off at some point after two in the morning.

"So what'd _you_ end up doing last night?" Haley asked tiredly, holding back a yawn as she stretched her arms into the air.

"What was that?" Lucas laughed after hearing a loud pounding sound on the other end of the line.

"Sorry. I was trying to stretch and dropped the phone," Haley admitted. "So about your night…."

"It was… interesting," Lucas said vaguely. He knew that his best friend would be more than a little surprised when he told her about the latest development with Brooke. It was what made him loathsome to tell her over the phone instead of in person. "You know, actually Hales something did happen. Something good."

"Okay…" she said slowly. "Out with it."

"Well Brooke was at my house last night when the storm hit," he began easily as he approached the court. From where he stood Lucas saw Fergie and Skillz already there and shooting around. "We ended up talking for a few hours and… and I finally told her how I felt. Turns out she feels the same way," Lucas admitted and took Haley's silence as a sign of shock. "Hales? Are you still there or did you drop the phone again?"

She heard the amusement in his voice and curbed the impulse to frown, knowing that he couldn't see it anyway. "So then the two of you are together now? Officially, I mean," she asked, biting her lip while wondering whether or not Brooke would tell him about the night of the party. She supposed she'd have to ask the brunette herself. The last thing she wanted was to be blindsided by Lucas' ire over the partial truths she told.

"Yeah," he said softly. "We are."

Haley knew he was happy by the way he spoke. So despite any concerns she had regarding Brooke's world, she put them aside and told Lucas that she was happy for him. "I bet at this time last year you never would have guessed that you'd end up on the varsity basketball team with the cheer captain as your girlfriend." It was said good naturedly because Haley wanted Lucas to know that she supported his choice and trusted his judgment.

It also didn't hurt that she knew Brooke would look after Lucas. And that she could now do it openly.

"Well even if it's for school, a month ago _you_ wouldn't have guessed that you'd be spending your afternoons with Nathan," he quipped, grimacing slightly at the thought.

While he still believed his half-brother was a jerk, Lucas hadn't to admit that he hadn't pulled any big stunts since Haley began tutoring him. That wasn't to say though that he had stopped the insults, the glares, the shoving during practice or the ball hogging and criticism each time he missed a shot.

"Don't remind me," Haley groaned while her mind once again wandered back to the night before. "At least he's finally starting to pull his grades up a little so hopefully he won't need me for too much longer."

"Hey, Luke you just gonna stand there on your phone all afternoon or are you gonna play some ball?" Skillz called out.

"Hales…"

"I know, I know. Tell Skillz I could hear him across town," she said and hung up her phone. Tired was an understatement and Haley was looking forward to taking a long nap. She only wished she could get the angry voices of Nathan and Peyton out of her head long enough to fall asleep.


	14. Life Ain't Always Beautiful

**A/N: **_Hello everyone! This chapter made add to your questions a bit but I hope you like it anyway and I'm glad that you're all happy now that Brucas is officially together! _

_Thanks for reading and reviewing!!_

* * *

**Chapter 14 - Life Ain't Always Beautiful**

_Life ain't always beautiful_

_Sometimes it's just plain hard_

_Life can knock you down, it can break your heart_

_But the struggle make you stronger_

_And the changes make you wise_

_And happiness has its own way of taking its sweet time_

"Trust me, Brooke. It's a lost cause," Nathan sighed. "I've got absolutely no shot of getting her to forgive me." Sitting side by side, Nathan and Brooke stared out at the wide field in front of them. The wooden benches were still a little damp from the night's storm though neither friend really noticed. "If you had heard all the shit she was saying last night… and not even just to me. She was basically attacking Haley for being there."

Emitting her own sigh, Brooke decided it was time to bite the bullet and tell Nathan the reason she asked him to meet her. "I'm sorry that things are so crappy with Peyton. We aren't exactly friends right now either or else I'd try to talk some sense into her about all that stuff with Haley. But your ex-girlfriend isn't exactly why I called you. I actually had something important to say." She knew without a doubt that if at least one person saw her out with Lucas, news of her new relationship would be circulating around the school by Monday morning. So she decided to say something to Nathan sooner rather than later because it would only be worse if he found out from some random person. Brooke also wanted to know whether or not he planned on messing with Lucas again.

"What is it? You aren't moving or something are you?"

"No, it's… it's not that," she smiled weakly. "Actually, you know what… before I tell you my news, there's something else I want to ask you. It's about Lucas."

"What about him?" Nathan asked tightly. Then Brooke saw his jaw clench and as she recognized the gesture, she knew it wasn't a good sign.

"Well it's been a month since his first party, Nate," she reminded, deciding not to let the inevitable anger deter her from the subject at hand. "And I was wondering if you were planning something else to do to him or if you actually decided to take my advice?"

He laughed humorlessly. Something he did when he was halfway to being angry. "Why do you care what happens to him? And tell me the truth this time, Brooke. Not that bullshit about him not deserving it," Nathan countered as he turned to face her, daring Brooke to lie to him. "Because if you asked me, I'd say you have a thing for the guy. Otherwise why would you talk to him in the halls and worry about whether or not the initiation stands? Huh?"

Shaking her head, Brooke looked out in the distance for a few moments before turning back to her dark haired friend. "That night out in the woods, you asked me if I remembered my initiation. I couldn't believe that you'd even wonder because the thing is… I can never forget it. No matter how much I want to. Because it changed me, Nathan," she bit out. "It changed you too and not for the better. Not for either of us." Looking back, Brooke wondered how different things might have turned out if she had decided not try out or if she hadn't made the varsity squad that year. "I hate what this is doing to you now. I _hate_ that I can see Dan in your eyes whenever you talk about Lucas."

Tears had begun to form in the corners of her eyes but Brooke fought against them. She didn't want Nathan's sympathy, she wanted him to see the truth in her words.

"You're becoming someone that I don't recognize anymore," she whispered. But as sadness began to overtake her, another emotion coursed through her friend.

Angrily, Nathan stood and hurled the basketball he'd been holding and toying with since they first went out there. The sudden movement startled Brooke while the ball sailed through the air and landed somewhere in the middle of the football field. There it bounced a few times before rolling away to some unknown location. "What the hell do you want from me, Brooke!" he demanded once more, mirroring more words that he'd already yelled at Peyton as his eyes began to flash with anger. She looked over then and saw his hands balled into fists, shaking as he looked down at her.

"I want you to stop this, Nathan." She met his hard stare with one of her own. She matched the anger in his voice with frustration in hers. It built itself from a dark place inside of her until she couldn't hold it back any more than he could. "It isn't his fault that Dan was so much of a prick that he got two women pregnant at the same time! He didn't ask for this anymore than you did!" she yelled and stood up, un-intimidated by the way he still towered above her. "Damn it," Brooke cried out and pushed him with all her strength. But it wasn't enough and she tried again while she continued to yell in his face. "Look at you, Nathan! Look at you!"

Harshly, he grabbed at her hands to stop the pushes, afraid that she was going to hurt herself.

"He was obsessed with it Nathan! It was his way or no way. That was the mantra, right?" she screamed and struggled in his grasp. Nathan could feel her shaking but he was too stunned by the harshness to say anything to stop it. "And you're becoming just like him. I hated him! I hate _you_! I hate…I hate…" she began to sob as the weight of it all pushed down on her shoulders and her legs gave out from underneath her.

His arms wrapped around Brooke's body as she dragged him down to the floor with her. "I hate him," she continued to cry. Over and over the words formed themselves on her lips. She no longer struggled and instead buried her face in Nathan's chest as he held her. "I hate him." He knew it had stopped being about him and his father and became about something else entirely. Only Nathan never would have guessed before that the memories still haunted her. She was Brooke Davis. One of the strongest people he knew but now she was breaking apart in his embrace and he had no idea how to help her.

"I'm falling in love with him, Nate." It was a whisper so quiet that he almost didn't hear the words. But when he caught the meaning his eyes widened in surprise. "Please don't do it again. Please."

His heart beat a frantic staccato against his chest as he listened to his best friend cry, pleading with him to give up the grudge he held.

Nathan wasn't sure if he could let go but he realized that he'd have to try for the sake of his friend's sanity.

Quiet, almost as quietly as Brooke, Nathan whispered. "Okay."

-----

After her breakdown on the football field, Brooke decided that it would be best to stay home alone on Thanksgiving Day. Looking back on her conversation with Nathan, she could hardly believe she'd fallen apart in front of him. Embarrassment colored her face when she thought about all the tears and angered yelling. She couldn't believe she pushed him and knew she'd need to apologize for it later.

But Nathan hadn't criticized. He didn't make fun of her or even force the topic for an explanation.

For that, Brooke was entirely grateful.

"Hey, boyfriend. I thought you were hanging out at your Uncle Keith's today," Brooke greeted when her cell phone rang and she saw it was Lucas on the other end.

"I am but my mom left the cranberry sauce at the café so she sent me to come pick it up," Lucas explained. "And I couldn't help but wonder if maybe you changed your mind about stopping by? I know that both my mom and Keith would be glad to have you. Even if the only edible thing is this cranberry dish my mom made."

Brooke smiled in spite of her crappy mood, imagining a feast consisting of things like cornbread drenched in French dressing. "Thanks, Luke but I'm pretty used to the whole alone on a holiday thing." Larry Sawyer always made it back to Tree Hill for Christmas and Brooke had never wanted to intrude on the time he and Peyton got to spend alone together. So she always stayed home and opened the gifts her parents mailed. New Year's was usually spent in the company of drunken teenagers and she supposed that if Easter and Halloween counted as major holidays, she spent those alone too.

"Brooke, I know that we've only actually been dating for about three days now but I really do care a lot about you," Lucas quietly admitted. "If you honestly want to be alone, then I'll understand. But if it's just because you're used to it… you don't have to be. I'd love to spend the day with you."

_That was the problem,_ Brooke thought. She didn't want to get used to being around him on the holidays because if they broke up, it would be harder to go back to spending them alone. Only she knew she couldn't tell him that. He would think she was being pessimistic or that she wasn't taking their relationship seriously. In the end, her growing feelings for Lucas and the desire to just open up and trust him won out. "How about you come pick me up?" she suggested before she could change her mind. "I mean I'll need a few minutes to get ready first but… I'd love to go."

The smile was evident in his voice as he promised to be by her house in ten minutes. Brooke nearly told him it wasn't enough time but instead figured it'd have to be.

Running up the stairs, she was mentally going through her wardrobe in the hopes of figuring out what to wear. She wasn't sure if their family gathering was the casual type or the kind you got dressed up for. _I definitely should have asked_, Brooke decided and began scrolling through her cell phone for his number when it began to ring in her hand. Lucas' name flashed across the screen and with a smile, she answered, "Miss me already?"

He laughed, making Brooke's smile widen. "Actually, I called to tell you that it's pretty casual. Jeans are fine so don't worry about finding something else to wear."

Blinking back surprise, Brooke could only say, "Okay, that was freaky. I was just about to call and ask you what kind of clothes I should put on."

"I know," Lucas laughed and ended the call, leaving Brooke standing with the phone in her hand and a smile on her face.

-----

The house he pulled up to was larger than any other on the block. It was also the only one in the neighborhood with a red front door. The infamous door Brooke seemed to love so much. Probably because it stood out so strongly against the white painted house and black shutters. Or so Lucas guessed.

Putting the car in park, he pocketed the keys and began up the long walkway. But before he had even made it halfway, the door was flung open and Brooke appeared. "I don't have anything for your mom," she blurted out and hurriedly ushered him inside. As soon as the door had closed behind him, she began to pace across the foyer, muttering indiscernible things beneath her breath.

"What do you mean?"

"Well when you have dinner with your special person's parents, you're supposed to bring something, right? Like dessert or flowers or something," Brooke rattled on. "Wait. Maybe I can bring something to drink. I'm pretty sure I have a bottle of something in my kitchen," she decided and began to hurry off in one direction with Lucas hurrying after her.

"You'll be a teenager showing up with alcohol," he called out and skidded to a stop to avoid knocking her over when she suddenly halted in place.

"Oh my god, you're right. If I show up with booze they'll think I'm an alcoholic or something. Or that I thought the dinner was BYOB." She looked so utterly confused that Lucas couldn't resist leaning down for a quick kiss.

At the feel of his lips brushing against hers, Brooke relaxed and trailed her arms up to wrap around his neck. Moaning quietly, her tongue tangled with his as he deepened the kiss. She was quickly getting lost in the sensations coursing throughout her body. She felt like she was on fire and desperately tried to get closer.

Arms wrapped tightly around her, Lucas slowly walked Brooke backwards until her knees bumped against the couch. Leaning back on the thick cushions, she pulled him down on top of her. Almost instantly her hands abandoned his shoulders so she could explore the muscles beneath his shirt.

Gently scraping her nails across his skin, Brooke felt his breath hitch. His kisses moved from her lips to the smooth column of her throat. Nipping at the soft skin, Lucas dragged his lips across her collar, causing Brooke to moan softly.

Just as he was about to trail his hands beneath her shirt, his cell phone began to ring. The loud music snapped the two out of their passion induced haze long enough to put a little distance between them. Lucas showed her the screen, revealing who the caller was. "Go ahead," Brooke invited, letting him know it was okay for him to get up and answer the call.

"Hello?" he greeted and listened to his mother's questions. "I stopped by to pick up Brooke," he explained and looked at her as he added, "She's going to be spending the day with us. Okay. Bye."

"I guess we should probably go now, huh?"

"Probably," Lucas agreed, albeit reluctantly.

"Okay. We wouldn't want to give your uncle time slip in any raisins or unnecessary salad dressing," she shrugged. "Just give me a minute to fix my makeup and I'll be ready to go."

Disappearing into another part of the house, Lucas was left alone in the spacious living room. With his hands in his pockets, he walked to the mantel where candlesticks and flowers in a crystal vase occupied the space that would normally be reserved for family photos. Above hung a painting of two people, a man and a woman who were obviously Brooke's parents. The woman's dark hair and her partner's hazel eyes gave away their identity though Lucas couldn't help wondering why Brooke wasn't in the painting with them.

Putting that question in the back of his mind for later consideration, he sat back on the plush couch. With a sigh, Lucas began to think about what had just happened between him and Brooke.

True, it wasn't the first time they made out and it wasn't the farthest they had gotten either. That had happened on the night they kissed in the rain.

But while Lucas knew he wanted to take things further with her, he also couldn't help but feel like they should wait. The last thing he wanted was for Brooke to think he was like all the other guys who only wanted to date her in the hopes of getting her into bed. In fact he'd hate for her to get that impression.

Because it was so much more than that for Lucas.

He wanted to earn her trust and he wanted her to know she was safe with him before they got around to sleeping together. As contrite as it sounded, Lucas knew it would mean more to the both of them if they waited. The only problem was that he didn't know how to say it to Brooke without making it sound like he was rejecting her. As flirtatious as she was, he could see that beneath the tough exterior she showed the world, she was actually just as scared as everyone else. Maybe even more so considering the fact that she didn't have much stability at home.

Lucas would admit that the Davis house was beautiful. The landscaping was well maintained and added charm to the house's exterior. While the inside was filled with designer furniture and expensive antiques. But none of that could make up for how cold it felt. Or for how empty it seemed despite all the carefully selected possessions.

A person could walk in and not know that anyone lived there.

It was a sad truth and Lucas couldn't help wondering how Brooke had managed to stay there on her own for as long as she had. He also began to understand why she hated silence and detested the dark. It all reminded her of a life she didn't enjoy.

"Okay, Broody. I'm ready to go," Brooke announced as she sauntered back into the room. Lucas took the time to notice the soft black sweater she had paired with a dark pair of jeans. Black high heeled boots gave her an extra couple of inches, not that it made much of a difference next to Lucas' six foot plus height. He also noticed the way her long dark hair fell down her back in soft waves with a few loose tendrils to frame her face.

"You look beautiful," Lucas said simply but the compliment made Brooke smile. A feeling she could only describe as happiness began to flood her insides, making Brooke feel glad that she agreed to spend the holiday together.

"Let's go handsome. I can't wait to see if this uncle of yours is as cute as you are," she teased and led him from the house as he rolled his eyes.

"He's almost forty," Lucas couldn't help but laugh. Each day he began to get more and more used to her teasing. _Flirting_, he silently corrected as she leaned up and placed a quick kiss on his lips.

"Oh well. I guess I'm stuck with you then." Hazel eyes twinkling with amusement, she winked and practically dragged him to the car. All the while he laughed at the poor joke.


	15. Halo

**A/N: **_Hi everyone! As always, thanks for all the great reviews. _

_Brooke and Nathan's secret will come out soon enough though I'm glad I have some of you intrigued by it. To answer the inquiry about how I'm able to update daily it's because I had several chapters already written out before I ever started posting it. However, I'm going to be away for the next couple of days so I probably won't be able to post the next part until some time Monday, Tuesday morning at the latest. Sorry! But I hope you enjoy this one ;)_

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**Chapter 15 - Halo**

_I always said that I would make mistakes_

_I'm only human and that's my saving grace_

_I fall as hard as I try_

_So don't be blinded_

_See me as I really am  
_

_I have flaws and sometimes I even sin_

_So pull me from that pedestal_

_I don't belong there_

"Captain of the cheer squad. That's pretty impressive, Luke." Teasing good naturedly, Keith grinned at his nephew before turning his attention back to the football game on TV. "She must really like you if she's in the kitchen with your mom trying to help clean up after the mess I made in there," he added casually, hoping to procure a bit of information from the otherwise private teenager.

"Alright, Keith." Rolling his eyes, Lucas leaned back against the cushions and gestured with his hand. "I know you want to ask so go ahead."

"You know, I actually don't know what you're talking about, Luke. But if there's something that _you_ want to get off your chest, you know I'm always around to listen." Lucas had to be impressed by the way his uncle turned everything around on him. Something that his mother often tried and failed to do.

"Okay," Lucas agreed with a laugh, silently acknowledging that there _was _one thing he wanted to ask. "Do you like her?"

"Absolutely," Keith said without hesitation. "She's pretty, she's friendly… she smiles a lot which is always good. Makes it easier to be in a good mood. Plus I know that your mom, who is probably the best judge of character I know, seems to really like her too so… if you've got the Karen Roe seal of approval, you're basically set."

"I'm glad," Lucas admitted, unable to help the small grin that formed on his lips as he thought about Brooke. "She's really important to me."

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Brooke was inspecting a plate she had just spent the last minute scrubbing. It was a first for her but instead of complaining about the caked on food, she couldn't help but feel a small sense of accomplishment. "I don't think I've ever seen someone scrub dishes with such a big smile on their face," Karen said, amused.

"I never get to do it at home, you know," Brooke admitted, biting her lip.

"I wish Lucas was as enthusiastic about cleaning," Karen replied teasingly though the warmth in her smile bellied her words about the blonde haired boy sitting with Keith. "Don't get me wrong, he always does his share of the housework but usually it's late at night because he's just spent all evening down at the Rivercourt."

_Or our with me_, Brooke silently added.

Looking back, it was almost strange how natural their friendship seemed to have progressed. One night they watched a movie together and the next came a phone call. After a few days, Brooke came to expect hearing his voice sometime between the end of his basketball practice and the minutes before she went to sleep.

What amazed Brooke even more was how much he seemed to care about her. He asked her about a lot of little things, questions about the little quirks of hers that he noticed. But most of all, he showed how much she mattered to him by letting her into his world. By smiling when she showed up at the Rivercourt to watch him play ball with his friends. For including her in the conversations he had with Skillz, Fergie and Junk about random guy stuff.

He let her in, knowing she was tied to Nathan in ways he didn't understand and not once had he ever made her feel uncomfortable because of it. Lucas didn't ask her to choose one friend over the other. He didn't make her feel like she had to defend herself or her friendship. It not only showed that he cared but that he respected her too. Something that no previous boyfriend had ever done for her before.

"He seems to really love it down at the court," Brooke mentioned while rinsing off the newly washed dish. "The friends he plays ball there with are really amazing too."

Smiling behind Brooke, Karen felt a small sense of relief that she hadn't realized she had been waiting for.

Originally, the concerned mother had worried about her son's choice of girl. While Brooke was nice enough, she was also a rich cheerleader who spent plenty of spare time with other rich kids, including Lucas' half brother, Nathan.

At first, picturing the two of them together seemed like a recipe for disaster because their differences seemed to be almost too many. Yet Karen still couldn't help but like Brooke. She was sweet and seemed to really care for Lucas. The clincher, it seemed, was that Brooke didn't only care about Lucas, but she also accepted where he came from and the people he'd grown up alongside.

The other differences didn't seem to matter to Karen anymore because they obviously didn't matter to Lucas and Brooke.

"You know after all this time, I still don't know what Junk's really name is," Karen admitted with a laugh. Giggling, Brooke nearly dropped the plate she had been washing. Together, both females began laughing even louder, garnering the attention of Lucas and Keith in the living room.

With a nervous expression on his face, Lucas stood up and crept to the kitchen. Standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, he watched the two brunettes, each up to their arms in soap suds, laughing heartily and some unknown joke.

Lucas didn't know what was so funny but that didn't stop him from laughing at the hysterical pair.

-----

After driving Brooke back home, Lucas decided to go inside with her for a while because he could see that she clearly didn't want to be left alone. Not that she would have ever admitted it. "Why don't you want to sleep with me," she whispered a half hour later while tracing invisible circles on his chest. Her expression was one of deep concentration but Lucas guessed it was just a way to avoid looking at him. She was obviously scared of what his answer would be while he was just surprised by the question.

"What makes you think I don't?" he finally asked.

Snuggled beneath the goose down comforter on her bed, Brooke felt like she was nestled into a little safety cocoon. The warmth from the blanket and the safety she felt with Lucas by her side was enough to give her the courage to ask something she had been wondering about for several days. At least since the night they first kissed in the rain.

"Because you haven't tried," she shrugged uncertainly. "I've been in your bed, you're here in mine now. We're all alone."

With a sigh, Lucas tipped her chin up so that Brooke would finally have to meet his intense blue gaze. "I do want to sleep with you Brooke. Believe me," he admitted, allowing her to see in his eyes how much he wanted her. "But the thing is that I've never done it before and I really care about you so when it happens… I want it to be something special between us instead of just this thing we did one night because we were alone." When she didn't say anything, Lucas let out a nervous laugh. "Too cheesy?" he asked.

"Then maybe it shouldn't be with me," she whispered sadly and looked away as the first tears slipped from the corners of her eyes.

"Hey," he whispered back and shifted down the bed a little so that her eyes could no longer avoid his. "Why would you say that?" he gently asked.

"Because," Brooke insisted, helplessly. "Lucas, you're good. Any girl would be lucky to have you but… _I_ don't deserve you," she whispered through her tears. "You should have an amazing first time with a great girl. Not one that has a closet over flowing with skeletons," she declared as her body began to shake with the force of her tears. "Not someone who's first time already belongs to someone else."

It was the closest she had ever come to admitting just how colorful her past really was.

Sure there were rumors about random hook-ups and drunken nights that she was sure Lucas had heard at one point or another. While plenty of the stories were pure fiction, Brooke was ashamed to admit that more than handful were also true. And she didn't want that for Lucas. As much as she wished she could ever be enough for him, Brooke knew it was a selfish desire. She needed to let him go because in her heart she knew it would hurt even more if he dumped her later after finding out the sordid details of her life.

"Brooke, I don't care about that," Lucas insisted and placed a gentle kiss against her lips before she could protest. He could taste the saltiness from her tears. "I don't care about what you did before because the girl I know today is pretty damn amazing," he said with the same reverence he often kissed her with. "Brooke, I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. I wish you knew how beautiful you were inside."

His heartfelt declaration only made her tears fall faster.

She was tempted to tell him about all that she was done but she couldn't open her mouth to say the words. She knew he deserved a better girl, a nicer one like his best friend Haley but Brooke couldn't help the strong desire she felt to hold on as tight as she could while he was willing to let her. Brooke wondered if maybe he _could_ actually accept the things she had done and said.

"I wish I was a better person," she whispered, continuing even after he frowned. "Because if I was, I would let you go before you got in too deep. I'd let you go so that you could find another girl that was nicer and sweeter. Someone that you could always depend on. But I'm _not_ a better person."

"Brooke…" He wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her against him so that no space existed between them. With her head on his chest, listening to the gentle thump of his heart beat, she felt a sense of calm envelop her. "I want to know you. The good… the parts that you seem to think are bad. All of it. All of _you_."

Sighing, Brooke raised her head to look down at him from where she lay sprawled on top of his body. "Just don't paint my picture with a halo, Lucas. If you want to see me, then seem me as I really am. I make mistakes, I fall and... I sin," she said simply. The pensiveness from before refused to leave her face and Lucas wished, not for the first time, that she wouldn't sell herself short. "That's just who I am. And as much as I'd love to change who I once was… I can't."

"I'm not asking you to change anything, Brooke. I know you aren't perfect, I just wish you knew that no one else was either," Lucas murmured, raising his hands to push back the strands of hair that had fallen in her face. "You are so beautiful."

Raising his lips to hers, they met in a sweet kiss.

Brooke would have kissed him all night if he had let her but she understood that Lucas wanted to take it slow. So they slept. Legs tangled together, arms draped across each other's bodies… sharing the breaths exchanged by lips so close together. They slept. Together. And it was the best sleep either had ever had on any given night alone.

-----

To make up for their days off, lazing around and eating large amounts of food, Whitey called a special Saturday morning practice. He almost seemed to take pleasure in standing on the sidelines while the team ran horses up and down the length of the court. "Hustle up, Tim. Point guards lead from the front, not the back!" he called out to the boy who was so obviously hung over, it was a wonder he hadn't puked all over the hardwood.

"One more to go," Lucas said and gave Tim a helpful little shove forward to keep him moving. If even one person crossed the finish line more than three seconds behind the others, they'd all have to run their reps a second time.

"Yeah, man… let's go. Come on," Nathan coached, encouraging his friend to keep moving.

"Time!" Whitey called out once they all made it back to the base line. "Now that you've worked off a few _holiday pounds_," he said dryly. "Divide up. Blue will work on perimeter jump shots. White on free throws. If anyone misses a free throw, you'll be taking a lap. Now move!" Resisting the urge to groan, the boys began separating and walking towards their respective baskets. "Hold on a second there, Lucas. Turn your jersey inside out and join the group at the free throw line," he instructed before telling Hamilton to switch over to blue.

Surprised, Lucas reluctantly joined the group of starters and got to the back of the line. As his luck would have it, he got stuck right behind Nathan.

Two rounds of shots went by with neither acknowledging the other's existence. Finally after his third try, Lucas returned to the end of the line while Nathan half turned back to face him, his eyes focused on the bleachers across the court. "The team's partying it out at Tim's again tonight. You should bring Brooke." Said so casually, the reluctance in his voice was almost undetectable. But Lucas heard it and instantly knew that his new girlfriend was the reason behind Nathan's invitation. She had obviously told him to play nice. That wasn't what surprised Lucas though. He knew how difficult it was for her to be stuck between two brothers who disliked each other so much.

No, what surprised Lucas was that Nathan was actually making the effort.

But he didn't say anything at first. Not until Whitey blew the whistle again and told them to switch their shots. "Okay," Lucas said simply as he found a spot just outside the paint to shoot from.

Tossing up the ball that sailed through the basket effortlessly, Nathan shrugged. "Cool."

"Oh god, I'm gonna throw up!" Tim groaned and ran off the court amidst laughter and pointing from his teammates. From where he continued to stand at the sidelines, Whitey turned his head to hide a chuckle. He figured it would teach the other guys not to get drunk the night before they were supposed to play.

-----

"Hey, pretty girl," Lucas greeted when he walked into his kitchen after practice and found his girlfriend sitting at the dinner table.

"Morning boyfriend. How was practice?" she asked in the quiet, raspy voice that never failed to cause a wave of desire coursing through his body.

"Not bad. Tim was hung over though and… well… let's just say that the locker room isn't exactly the nicest smelling room in the gym. Or the cleanest for that matter," Lucas explained, grinning when Brooke rolled her eyes. Reaching into the refrigerator, he pulled out a bottle of water and sat down across from his girlfriend.

"You're mom invited me," Brooke stated, answering the silent question. While Lucas knew that Karen really liked his new girlfriend, he couldn't imagine why she had called and asked her to come by on a Saturday morning. "I guess she kind of figured out that my parents aren't exactly around much and since you had practice, she thought we could have breakfast together," she said before informing him that Karen had gone off to the café a half hour before to straighten up a few things. Graciously, she had invited Brooke to stay and wait around for Lucas since he was due back soon enough.

"Well I'm glad she did because it'll save me a call," Lucas declared, causing Brooke to narrow her eyes inquiringly. "I thought maybe if you wanted to… we could go to Tim's party tonight," he suggested casually and took a long drink from the plastic bottle.

"Wait, you actually _want_ to go to a party?" Brooke asked, perplexed by the sudden about face.

"Sure, it might be fun."

Sighing, Brooke reached for his hand across the table and said, "Lucas, I love that you're willing to put yourself through another party for me but I'm okay with skipping it. Just the fact that you offered is good enough." She knew what Nathan promised and Brooke was positive he wouldn't go back on his word but that didn't mean that the other guys were going to play nice. And after the emotional rollercoaster she'd been on throughout the week, Brooke was fine with a stress free night with Lucas, watching movies and snuggling up in his arms.

Tugging her hand gently, Lucas gestured for Brooke to walk around the table and sit down on his lap.

Teasingly, she decided to straddle his legs instead while wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. Lucas couldn't resist leaning in for a kiss. One that quickly began to get out of control as their tongues clashed wildly together and Brooke ground her hips against his. She could feel evidence of his arousal pressing against her inner thigh. She couldn't hold in the moan she emitted softly against his lips.

Hands wandering, Lucas slid his palms inside her shirt and gently tickled the soft skin with his fingers.

Brooke was just about to reach for his waistband when they heard a throat being cleared somewhere behind them.

Mortified, Brooke buried her head in Lucas' chest, imagining how upset Karen would be after finding them in such a compromising position. "Hey Keith," Lucas greeted as casually as he could considering the circumstances. _Better his uncle than his mother_, he thought. "You remember Brooke."

"Hi Uncle Keith," she said, her voice muffled by Lucas' shirt as she raised her hand in greeting.

"Brooke… Lucas… your mom's on her way in. She just stopped to check the mail," Keith informed, trying and failing to hold in a laugh. "I'll be in the living room. Good to see you again, Brooke," he called out behind him, making it impossible for Lucas to keep from joining in the amused laughter.

"Luke!" Brooke scolded and poked his side.

"Well at least you know he likes you," Lucas shrugged as the front door slammed and Karen walked into the house. "Otherwise he would have let my mom catch us."


	16. Breakaway

**A/N: **_Hello everyone! Thank you for your wonderful feedback. It took my a while to post this part because I couldn't find an song except that I liked and I'm still really satisfied with this one but I can't hold out forever. shrugs_

_Hope everyone continues to enjoy! Thanks again!!!_

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**Chapter 16 - Breakaway  
**

_ Trying hard to reach out  
But when I'd try to speak out  
Felt like no one could hear me  
Wanted to belong here  
But something felt so wrong here_**  
**

Had it been her parents, calling just to say they missed her, Brooke Davis couldn't have been more surprised to hear Haley James on the other end of the phone line. "Look, I know this is totally unexpected," the studious brunette began nervously. "I just… well, say that Nathan invited me to Tim's party tonight. Hypothetically speaking of course. Do you think he's just trying to play some game with me or that maybe he's just trying to be nice because I tutor him?" Haley rushed out in one breath.

Less than a week before, she had called him an ass while they sat stuck together throughout the storm. Now Haley still believed he was an ass but she wondered if that was really _all_ he was.

"Do you have a thing for Nathan?" Brooke asked, completely mystified by the latest development.

"No," Haley quickly denied. A little too quickly as far as Brooke was concerned. "No, it's just… well we can be friends, can't we? At least casual ones now that he and Lucas are getting along a little better," she rationalized, unaware of the amused grin that began to turn up the corners of Brooke's lips. "Besides, a good working relationship is conducive to positive production, right?"

"Uh…. Speak any English?"

"Getting along will make it easier to help Nathan with his school work," Haley amended dryly.

"So then what's the big deal? Are you afraid Lucas will flip if he find out you're jonesing for his brother?" It was said so cavalierly that Haley almost agreed before she realized what she was agreeing to. Groaning with frustration, she laid back against her mattress and studied the ceiling for a few silent moments.

"Yes and no," she finally admitted.

"Elaboration please."

"Okay, Nathan is an ass who gave Lucas a hard time and cheated on his girlfriend repeatedly," Haley reminded. "That is so _not_ the kind of guy I want to date. He's trouble. Big trouble and I'd be completely stupid to have the smallest, tiniest little crush on him, wouldn't I?" she asked, half hoping Brooke would say yes and half hoping she'd say no.

Yet aside from one sticky little problem, Brooke could absolutely picture Nathan and Haley together. It was the kind of pairing great chick flicks were made of. The misunderstood, popular player who had a bad track record but a heart of gold. He'd meet the sweet, innocent and scared to commit girl. They'd fall for each other but both would be scared to admit it out loud at first. Fear of getting hurt would play a big part, along with concern about the reactions of friends and family.

Of course they'd have to get over it eventually so they could end up together when all was said and done.

"Nathan's an ass," Brooke agreed, pausing with a smile when she heard Haley's sigh. There was her answer. "But he's also a really great guy when you're lucky enough to break down his walls. He's a good friend, one of the most loyal I've ever had and I wouldn't say you're stupid for crushing on him. I'd say you were special enough to see through the crap he hides behind. Because really he's just as scared of getting hurt as anyone else is." With Dan Scott for a father, it was almost impossible to not close yourself in with walls. It was the only way to keep out the garbage the older man spewed and it was the only way to save yourself from believing it all hook, line and sinker.

"But what about Peyton?" Haley couldn't help asking. "She was his girlfriend but he wasn't exactly loyal to _her_."

Nodding to herself, Brooke took a deep breath before attempting to explain. "I'd never condone what he did with Theresa. Nathan was wrong, plain and simple and he knows it too. It's just that excluding all the major details, in a lot of ways Nathan and Peyton were almost like the same person. And dating yourself never works." The two had tried to make their relationship a good one and at times, Peyton definitely worked harder at it than Nathan did. She was infatuated and completely committed to making things work between them. The problem was that Peyton was someone he could never get close enough to no matter how hard he tried. No matter how open she considered herself to be.

Her walls were thicker and higher than his and eventually, he stopped wanting to try. It became too much and instead of doing the right thing by ending it, he chickened out and just slept with Theresa instead. He knew Peyton would eventually find out and then she'd save him the trouble of having to break up with her.

But it backfired.

When the curly blonde found out the truth about his cheating, Nathan realized what he had lost. He wondered if maybe things could have been different if he had only tried a little harder. Unfortunately it was too late and there was nothing he could do to take back the hurt it caused.

Since then Peyton had been so angry that Nathan gave up his attempts to have any semblance of friendship with her. Now he was just as angry as she was.

"If you like Nathan or you think you might be able to, then trust that. But don't worry about what Lucas will think or what happened with Peyton. None of that should matter if you're happy," Brooke advised gently, still a bit surprised that Haley wanted her opinion at all. A few months back, she never would have imagined it.

If asked to define it, Brooke would say that their friendship was tentative at best. They were polite to one another but didn't really talk beyond the obligatory greetings. At least not since the night they teamed up to help Lucas. "I hope you're taking your own advice," Haley quietly said, briefly interrupting Brooke's train of thought.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"Well you and Nathan are friends," Haley reminded simply. "So I hope you aren't worrying about what he'll say when he finds out about you and Lucas dating."

"He already knows," Brooke replied. This time Haley was the one momentarily thrown off. "He's fine with it for as long as I'm happy." Though it wasn't said in so many words, Brooke knew it was what his support meant. He would make an effort for their sake of their friendship. His invitation to Lucas for the night's party was proof of it. "You know if you want to go to the party, why don't you come by my place in a little bit," she said impulsively. "We can get ready together or something and then you can tag along with me and Luke. Maybe it'll make the first step a little easier to take."

Biting her lip, Haley considered the invitation with uncertainty.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Brooke's motives or because she was scared of feeling like a third wheel. Haley just didn't know if she could take that first step Brooke talked about. Or more importantly, she didn't know if she wanted to. After all, she had no idea how Nathan felt. For all Haley knew, he was just being kind to his tutor because of all the help she'd given him. Or maybe it was to make up for the disastrous night spent in the café.

"I don't even know why I'm agreeing to this. I still think he's an ass," Haley groaned dramatically.

Laughing, Brooke couldn't resist saying, "But he's a cute ass."

Despite her inner struggle, Haley was inclined to agree.

-----

Earlier that afternoon Lucas had received a phone call from Brooke, informing him that his best friend would be tagging along with them to the party. So when Lucas got to the red door, it was no surprise that Haley had been the one to answer it. What _had_ shocked him was the way she had dressed for the night. "Hales?" he asked, eyes widened a little when she opened the door and stood nervously with her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Didn't anyone tell you how rude it is to gawk at another hot girl in front of your girlfriend?" Brooke asked, teasing when she saw Lucas' awestruck expression. It effectively broke the tension and halted the inevitable question Lucas was sure to ask. Not that Haley expected him to keep from asking for long. After all, she hadn't exactly extended him the same courtesy when he began spending a lot of extra time with Brooke. "Seriously, I thought they took boys aside in 6th grade health class and taught them that."

Rolling her eyes, Haley couldn't help but laugh along with Brooke while Lucas cleared his throat. He rolled his own eyes and smiled apologetically at his girlfriend.

"Forgiven," she said, reading his expression perfectly. "Besides… she does look pretty hot if I do say so myself," Brooke added innocently.

"Yeah, apparently Brooke never played with Barbies as a child so she decided to play dress up with a life-sized version," Haley informed sarcastically.

"She says it with disdain now but you should have seen her an hour ago," Brooke ratted her out. "Going through my makeup and clothes, she was like a kid in a candy store. And would you believe that's the eighth outfit she tried on?" Smirking, she narrowed her eyes playfully at Haley. As though telling the other brunette that she could play too.

"Well you both look amazing," Lucas complimented though his eyes lingered on Brooke appreciatively before glancing briefly over at his friend.

For the night, Haley decided to wear a blue denim mini skirt paired with a black off the shoulder top and matching boots. Lucas could guess that Brooke had been the one to curl Haley's hair and apply the smoky shadow to her eyes. "Thanks, boyfriend," Brooke said as she leaned up to receive a quick kiss.

Her own outfit consisted of fitted jeans and an emerald green halter top that bared her entire back, save for the two thin straps that held it together. A black leather jacket would keep her warm outside while Haley reached for a coat Lucas had never seen before. It was an easy assumption that it had also been a loan from Brooke. "Yeah, perv… thanks," Haley said dryly, earning herself a laugh from Brooke and a narrowed eyed expression from her best friend.

"To your separate corners," Brooke banished them while she went upstairs to grab her cell phone and keys.

"Is it safe to assume that I finally have you approval?"

"You never needed my approval, Luke."

"I know," he acknowledged. "But it's still good to know that my best friend gets along with my girlfriend."

Sighing, Haley tried to explain. "It's not that I ever disapproved of Brooke. I just didn't want things to be any harder for you than they already were." After that first night, Haley could only imagine how much worse it could all get. She was scared that Lucas was in way over his head. Even a month later, the remembrance of that night still made Haley cringe.

It also made her wonder why on earth she was even contemplating her crush on Nathan when he had been the one to drug Lucas. Something that was ten times as worse as all the insults and ball hogging.

How was it that she had forgotten the worst part?

Haley couldn't imagine how it hadn't occurred to her when Nathan first issued the invite. Looking back on it, she didn't know why Brooke was encouraging her for that matter either. If anyone knew how well Nathan played his games, it was Brooke. "Um…I'll be right back. I think I left something upstairs too," Haley quickly excused and hurried up the stairs while Lucas waited, bewildered by the sudden change.

"Hey, tutorgirl. I was just on my way down…" Brooke trailed off as Haley grasped her arm and led her back into the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind them. "Okay, I'm flattered and all but you're not really my type."

"Be serious, Brooke," Haley scolded. "Why on earth would you want me give Nathan a chance when _he's_ the one who drugged Lucas? You _do_ remember that night, don't you? How do you even know that he won't go back on whatever agreement he made to leave Lucas alone?" she demanded, pacing back and forth across the carpet. Brooke could see how nervous she was so she didn't comment on the other girl's harshness. "God, he didn't just give him a hard time," Haley added, recanting her earlier words. "He actually got him drunk, took off all his clothes and then left him in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. How stupid am I to have not even considered all that? How naïve could I possibly be?"

"You aren't stupid, Haley and I believe what he says because Nathan isn't malicious. He isn't a liar, either. He's just a little broken on the inside."

The words stopped Haley cold as she turned to face Brooke again, worrying her lip between her teeth as she waited for more.

"Actually broken isn't the right word because he doesn't need someone to come along and fix him but he _is_ bruised. And yes, he definitely screwed up big and I honestly can't make an excuse for him but I can tell you that a lot of it is misplaced anger. He hates Dan but he can't do a thing about it so he decided to hate Lucas instead," Brooke gently explained.

She struggled for the right words because there was really no way of explaining something that came down to a gut feeling.

"Again, I know it's nowhere near being a good enough reason or excuse. By any means at all. Because personally, Haley… I hate what he did to Lucas but I also know that he'll never do it again. He won't try because I asked him not to and even if he decided not to listen… he couldn't do anything because I wouldn't let him. I won't _ever_ let him hurt Lucas," Brooke declared strongly. "If you believe nothing else… remember that night and remember that I was willing to put it all on the line for him."

Shaking her head, Haley declared, "I believe you, Brooke. I do. It's just… I can't like someone who has already tried to hurt my best friend. I just… I can't."

Seeing that Haley was determined to not feel anything, Brooke knew that there was nothing more for her to say on the subject. "Then don't like him but don't let your feelings and confusion keep you from going to the party. Just have fun. Talk to him, don't talk to him. In the end it's up to you."

The other brunette was suspicious at first. She half expected Brooke to defend Nathan a little more and was surprised when she didn't. "Just answer one thing for me Brooke. Please." Consenting, Brooke nodded and gestured for Haley to continue. "Why are your best friends two people that constantly hurt you, each other and everyone else?"

With a sad smile, Brooke replied, "They're good people inside, Haley. And if they've made a habit of hurting me, at least I know what to expect from them. Everyone else just blindsides you with it." Standing, Brooke gathered the items she tossed on the bed when Haley first dragged her in there. "Besides… who says I've never hurt them?"

-----

The party was in full swing by the time the trio arrived. Guys greeted Brooke with a mixture of warm or drunken hugs while simply nodding at Lucas. In an instant, a cup was thrust into her hands filled with someone unknown liquid. Friends, though Brooke would hardly consider them as close ones, called out in greeting.

Haley stayed behind the pair, content to blend in and remain unnoticed.

"I've been waiting to get you to the card table for a long time now, gorgeous," Brooke grinned up at her boyfriend. There was a teasing glint in her sparkling hazel eyes that amused and worried him all at once. "And now that I know you suck at Poker, I say we play a game or two," she suggested and pressed her body up against Lucas', hoping to tempt him into agreeing.

"Someone gag me now," Haley groaned loudly.

Rolling her eyes, Brooke reached out and grabbed the point guard's arm as he passed. "Hey Tim. You know Haley right?"

Sticking her tongue out childishly, Brooke laughed and led Lucas away while Haley groaned again. "Beautiful and evil. That's a dangerous combination, Brooke Davis," Lucas observed. Walking backwards, he winced as Haley smacked the back of Tim's head before walking off in the opposite direction. "Definitely at the top of her hit list now," he muttered under his breath.

"Tutorgirl needs to mingle," Brooke declared and accepted a kiss on the cheek from Bevin. "And to show off how hot she looks without that ugly crocheted poncho." Grabbing the deck of cards out of Theresa's hand, Brooke gave her a sarcastic smile and kinked her brow, indicating that the other girl needed to move to another spot.

Regardless of whatever problems she and Peyton were having, Brooke wasn't about to play nice with Theresa after the way she hurt the curly haired blonde.

Throughout the many parties she attended and the numerous guys she hooked up with, Brooke had a strong policy that was non-negotiable. Helping a boy cheat on his girlfriend was never acceptable. No matter who the girl was or hot the guy looked. Someone else's boyfriend was always off limits, no exceptions.

The way she figured it was that if you loved someone, you wouldn't want to cheat. So there was no need for a third party to pursue someone that felt that way.

And if the relationship was meaningless, then it shouldn't exist. Break up or work harder at it so that it _did_ matter but never use it as an excuse to cheat. All it meant was that you had a total lack of respect for the person you were with. An opinion Brooke had shared with Nathan at length because of his indiscretions with Theresa. "Why don't we play in pairs?" Lucas suggested, realizing just how quick he'd lose his clothes if all the players were half as good as Brooke was.

"Oh! And if you lose, you get to pick which article of clothing your partner has to take off," Bevin added happily.

"And you have to take it off with their teeth!" Ashley threw in, eyeing the team's small forward hungrily.

"Hmm… I might just lose on purpose," Brooke teased and began dealing out the first hand.

Soon enough she ended up in Lucas' lap, her bare back pressed firmly against his chest while his arms draped loosely around her waist. So far he had only lost his shirt and even though Brooke always loved to win, she decided the sight of his chest and abs were well worth the loss. "I say we keep these three," Brooke decided and glanced at Lucas for support.

"You're the expert," he agreed easily.

"That's right baby, I am," Brooke smiled and leaned down for a long, languid kiss.

"Get a room!" Bevin and Ashley called out, unheard by either as Lucas pushed his tongue passed her lips. Hungrily, they devoured each other, momentarily forgetting where they were until the other players began to throw whatever small pieces of food they could find at them. "Oh my god! You two are together?!" Theresa practically shrieked, managing to pull Lucas and Brooke out of their lust induced fog. "That's so not fair! I wanted to try him out too," she pouted.

"That is _never_ going to happen," Brooke glared at the dark haired girl.

She would hate it, but she wouldn't blame Lucas for ever wanting to find himself a nicer girl. But one thing Brooke wouldn't and couldn't allow was for Theresa to get her hooks into him. Not when the other girl only wanted to add Lucas to her collection so she could say she slept with both Scott Brothers.

"Brooke…" he murmured against her ear.

"Fine. Whatever," Theresa finally conceded and looked away.

Looking back at Lucas, Brooked tried to apologize with her eyes for the outburst. She didn't want him to feel like she considered him a possession of hers or something. She knew Lucas had to realize that as cheer captain and the school's queen, she had enough popularity points to make any girl on her squad submit. But that wasn't what her outburst had been about. It wasn't a power trip. It was the tightening she felt in her chest at the thought of another girl trying to use Lucas for sex.

"Let's take a walk," he suggested quietly and tossed their cards down onto the table.

Nodding, Brooke turned back to the others who sat watching, waiting to see what would happen next. "We fold."


	17. Hold Her Closer

**A/N:**_ Hello everyone!! Again, I want to thank you all for your amazing reviews. I know some of you have mixed feelings about what's going on here with Naley but hopefully this chapter will clear a few things up. Originally I had several chapters written ahead of time but as I slowly run out of them faster than I can write them, updates should be every other day instead of each day. Hope that's okay. And I hope you like this chapter, the next one will be a little more light hearted after the drama you're about to read ;)  
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**Chapter 17 - Hold Her Closer**

_So hold her closer when she cries_

_And hold her closer when she feels she needs a hand to hold_

_Someone who'll never let her go again_

_And hold him closer when he's down_

_When his world is upside down_

_Turn it around, turn it around_

Out in the sand with nothing but a quiet calm between them, Lucas was loathsome to break the silence. He wanted to just enjoy the moment with Brooke but he also knew that there things that needed to be cleared up first. Thinking about the expression on her face back at the card table nearly broke his heart.

Lucas could guess that the others only saw anger but he looked past the obvious emotion and found fear lurking not far behind.

Taking her hand in his, he gently tugged to get Brooke to stop walking once they were far enough away from the house. "I never would have taken Theresa up on anything. Whether you and I were together or not," he said quietly as she stood in front of him.

"I never meant for it to sound like I thought you would," Brooke replied tiredly. He knew she was nervous by the way she rubbed the palm of her free hand against the denim of her jeans. "I just really need you to understand that my world isn't nearly as nice or pleasant as yours. Everything is a game to everyone and we all know how to play it well. Some more than others." There was that word again that had always seemed to come up after he first joined the team. The Game. The problem was that Lucas didn't understand its meaning now anymore than he did then.

"So then help me understand."

"It's ugly," Brooke shrugged and bit her bottom lip contemplatively.

"All the more reason for me to understand," Lucas gently replied.

Brooke had always told herself that one day she'd explain it to Lucas. If he decided to stick with the team, he'd eventually find out about it all anyway. She figured it would be best if it came from her though. Now that the time had come, she wasn't so sure she could get through the whole explanation. At least not without possibly losing Lucas in the process.

"Well I guess to start with… the premise behind it all is power. The question is how do you get it and the answer is through loyalty," Brooke began a bit uncertainly. "That's where it becomes tricky and where it gets very ugly." Reigning over the others alongside Nathan meant that Brooke had seen more than her fair share of broken spirits. She watched the guys break the newbies until they bent to their will. Then they learned to hide it, just like the cheerleaders placed masks over their insecurities. Masks made of sarcasm, alcohol and promiscuity.

Brooke knew it well. After all… her mask had been thicker and tighter in place than anyone else's.

"Typically, a person is supposed to earn loyalty and respect based on the way they treat the people they want it from. But it doesn't work that way in our group," she continued, albeit reluctantly. For his part, Lucas listened attentively and hadn't shown any hints of disgust yet which Brooke took as a good sign. "So we use fear. Everyone gangs up on the newest member and we find a way to either scare or embarrass them. From that point, someone is usually so anxious to be left alone that they'll do anything to be accepted." As she said it, Brooke was the one who was embarrassed.

As the seconds ticked by, she could imagine that Lucas' opinion of her was considerably lowering.

Brooke didn't blame him though.

During her own freshman year, she had been appalled by the concept. Brooke couldn't imagine how everyone just accepted it for what it was. How they just allowed it to happen. Looking back, she had even been more shocked and angered by the process than Haley had when she learned the truth about it all.

"Go on," he said evenly.

Brooke wished he would look at her but a part of her was glad that he didn't. Having to look into his expressive eyes would have made it too difficult to continue.

"So, that's the initiation process. For some it stops with one night and with others… well it's more of a constant battle," she quietly concluded, thinking of all the little things Nathan and the other athletes had done to make Lucas feel out of place. All the things they would have continued to do if Nathan hadn't made his promise. "Loyalty and fear kind of become intertwined. For the most part, the person with the most power is usually the one that the others fear most."

His eyes had darkened, Brooke noticed. Even with only a faint hint of moonlight shining down on them, she could still see the way his jaw tightened reflexively. She felt him release her hand before stuffing both of his deep into his pockets. It was strange how she began to feel cold from the loss of his simple touch. "So what's the other way?" he asked in a quiet, controlled voice.

"What?" Brooke asked, confused by the sudden question.

"You said that for the most part, it's how they got the power," Lucas repeated. "So what's the other part?"

"Oh," she said, knowing that he had caught on to something she'd prefer not to delve deeper into. "That." Brooke wanted to stall for time and pushed the errant strands of hair out of her face as the wind blew them across her eyes. "It's either instilling the most fear… like I said. Or it's taking the most hell without breaking."

Nodding, Lucas looked out in the distance, taking in all this information that seemed so clichéd he almost laughed. But it wasn't funny. Not by a long shot. Not when he got the impression that plenty of people had been broken along the way. The basketball team and cheer squad alone had more than twenty students. Lucas could guess that the initiation process wasn't anything new so it was likely that more than hundreds had participated over the years.

And now… Nathan and Brooke had way too much power over their peers for it to not have happened regularly amongst their squads.

Lucas had no doubt that Nathan had played his part perfectly. It was Brooke that he wasn't so sure of.

Despite everything she just told him, he couldn't imagine her standing by and watching it happen. Her heart was too big. So he asked.

"So how'd you get yours?"

Brooke had been afraid he'd ask it. She had even expected it but it still didn't make it an easier to answer. "The second option, actually. I didn't break, not that they didn't try their damndest to make me." What she didn't say was that Nathan had unknowingly been the reason why she held on. Brooke figured it wasn't something Lucas would want to hear. "When everyone keeps pushing you to the ground and you keep standing up… they start to realize it isn't as fun as it once was. So they stop pushing but you never get the chance to stop fighting."

Two years later and she was still fighting only now it wasn't her peers. It was phantom ghosts that carried with them memories of the girl she used to be.

"What did they do to you?" His voice was considerably softer. Lucas still looked so uncertain about everything but Brooke could see the relief in his features. His jaw finally relaxed and his hand reached out for hers again. She didn't blame him for needing to hear that she hadn't acted like the others. She would have wanted the same assurance if their roles had been reversed.

"Some day Lucas… but not today."

It wasn't the first time she had said those words to him and Lucas could only guess that it wouldn't be the last either.

He looked down and saw that Brooke's eyes were pleading, silently urging him to accept her inability to open up about her initiation. Even though she understood his curiosity and acknowledged that sooner or later she'd have to tell him the truth… Brooke couldn't bring herself to do it just then. Not when there was party raging on nearby. Not when anyone could lurk in the shadows and listen to a tale that wasn't meant for their ears.

"Luke…" But whatever it was that she had intended to say was silenced when he tugged her a little closer and pulled her into his embrace.

His arms were warm against her wind chilled skin. Try as she might, Brooke couldn't describe the feeling of security she felt every time he held her. The steady beat of his heart pounded against his chest and echoed in her ear as she leaned against him. Like everything else about Lucas Scott, it was soothing.

He had buried one hand in her lustrous hair and closed his eyes as she molded herself to his body.

"Why do you stay?" It was a whisper against her ear. A question that Brooke had assumed would eventually come.

"Because sometimes I have a chance to do some good," Brooke said from where her head was buried against his chest. The words were a little muffled but Lucas heard them none the less. "Like with Peyton. I made sure that it wasn't half as difficult as mine was. I tried to make it easier for a lot of the girls." Although not everyone would consider it easy, Brooke knew that it was when measured against her own hazing. And Nathan's too for that matter.

"So then you knew about mine?"

It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement.

Brooke also refused to lie to him. She realized that it wasn't fair considering the fact that she had asked Haley to do it. But Brooke was desperate to get as much of it out in the open as possible. She wanted to let go of the baggage she carried around with her each and every day. Being honest with Lucas seemed like the only way to do that.

"Lucas… the truth is that Haley didn't just overhear some conversation in the cafe," Brooke quietly admitted. Pulling back, she wanted to see his eyes. She wanted to know if he'd be able to forgive her once he knew more of the truth. "I knew what was going to happen and I also knew that there was no way I could prevent it on my own. So I went to her."

It seemed like such a life time ago to Brooke. It was hard to believe that it had only been a month.

"It took a lot of convincing before she finally believed that I was being honest. But when I did get through to her, she agreed to help," Brooke softly continued. "Then between the two of us we managed to get you back home long before the rest of the team knew you were gone. And afterwards I asked Haley not to tell you I was involved. She wanted to be honest… but I wouldn't let her."

Processing it all was going to take longer than the few minutes they had been out side. So Lucas put everything aside for later consideration and instead focused on the latest revelation. "Wait, what do you mean? What exactly did you do?" Brooke noticed that he still didn't seem angry at her. Just confused. She was grateful for it, hoping that it would continue to last as more pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place.

"You were basically passed out in the woods. I knew the spot they had left you in," Brooke said simply. It was always the same spot every year. "So Haley and I drove down there and carried you into the backseat of my car," she shrugged. "We drove you home. Then while Haley stayed in your room to watch over you, I went back to the party like I was supposed to and pretended to be just as surprised as everyone else when they realized you were gone."

More questions were expected but what Brooke hadn't anticipated was what Lucas said next.

"That was before we were friends." He said it, almost as if he was talking to himself. "That night, I mean. It was before we started talking." Looking back, Lucas remembered how Brooke had pushed herself between him and Nathan two days later at school. How she flirted and teased him to get him away from his angered brother. A boy that she didn't seem to be at all afraid of. Unlike the majority of the people he knew.

"I've told you once before that I've liked you for a long time now, Lucas." She murmured the words quietly, wondering offhandedly how things managed to get so serious so quickly. It was strange as Brooke considered that a drunken mass of people continued to party nearby while they stood outside discussing the ins and outs of Tree Hill High's initiation process. "But that wasn't the only reason," she added. "I've known Nathan for a long time. Well enough to have realized that he'd never give you a fair shot. So I took things out of his hands."

She had risked plenty but Brooke never came out and said so. There was really no point. Lucas didn't need to feel like he owed her something and Brooke didn't want it either. She just needed to know if his opinion of her had changed since they first walked outside. Could he see past her colorful background unlike most people she knew? Or would it just be too much for him to deal with?

"Say something. Please."

But he didn't answer at first. With a questioning gaze still adorning his face, Lucas led Brooke further down the beach.

The air seemed to get quieter but cooler with each step.

Brooke had no idea what to expect from him next.

In its entirety, the truth was overwhelming. For something as silly as a high school hierarchy, there were many layers. Each a little worse than the one before it.

"I wish you trusted me enough to tell me everything," Lucas admitted quietly as they sat side by side on the sand.

"It's not about trust," Brooke insisted. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to stop the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. "I _do_ trust you, Lucas. So much that it scares me. I just…" she trailed off, unable to admit that she was scared he'd stop wanting her if he knew everything.

"But why does it scare you," Lucas persisted.

The wind continued to blow and Brooke shivered. Close to the water, the air had chilled and she wished she'd reached for her jacket before they walked out. "Because…" she whispered helplessly. "Lucas there are so many things in my life that I'm not proud of. So many mistakes. But that never really mattered to me before because I didn't care what other people thought. I had my reasons and that used to be good enough but it's just not anymore," Brooke confessed and turned her eyes to stare at the water. But instead of looking at it, she could almost see through it. "I didn't care before but I care now. About you," she whispered softly.

"Well that's good, Brooke," he said and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. In an instant, he chased away the cold that had settled within her. "Because…" gently he turned her chin so that she looked up at him. He wanted her to look in his eyes because he needed her to see the emotion behind his words. "Because I care a lot about you too. And I want this to work between us. You just have to let it."

But the words couldn't chase away the fear she felt inside, no matter how beautiful they sounded.

"But how do I know?" she whispered sorrowfully as the tears gently escaped their confines. Hazel eyes looked into blue and for a moment she felt her breath catch in her throat. He was beautiful and she was scared that she didn't deserve him. "How can I be sure that you won't walk away when you finally hear it all? Not that I'd blame you for doing it."

Lucas didn't have a promise or a definitive answer to give Brooke. He wasn't sure that either of those things would have made her feel better anyway. So he was honest and said what he could. "Just trust me, Brooke. Trust me and I'll trust you."

Because if they had trust, everything else would eventually fall into place. Lucas knew that. He just needed for Brooke to realize it too.

-----

Looking around, Haley searched for a tall head of blonde hair or a long brunette mane.

The last time she had seen them, Lucas and Brooke were enjoying a game of strip poker in the corner of the room. But by the time she finally managed to escape Tim's advances, the couple had disappeared from sight. Haley wasn't sure who to ask about them either since the people at the party were hardly the type she'd talk to in school. Or that would talk to her.

"Having a good time?" a voice asked. He leaned down close behind her and his breath tickled her skin. But when she turned, Haley smelled alcohol on his breath and couldn't help but feel a stab of disappointment. "I wasn't sure you'd show up but I'm glad you did." He smiled and she was tempted to return it.

"It's not so bad," Haley lied and continued her silent perusal throughout the room.

"Who're you looking for?" Nathan questioned as his eyes followed hers.

"Lucas or Brooke," she answered off handedly. "You haven't by any chance seen either of them, have you?"

"Outside a few minutes ago," Nathan nodded, gesturing towards the sliding glass doors at one end of the room. "I figure they're heading down to the beach." He shrugged but his voice was quieter, almost pensive. Haley wondered why and felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as it occurred to her that maybe Nathan had a thing for Brooke. Then just as quickly as it appeared, the thought vanished into the deepest recesses of her mind. There was no way that Nathan could like Brooke and keep it a secret. Especially now that she was dating Lucas.

"Right," Haley nodded back.

"So, do you want to…"

"I'll see you later," Haley interrupted before Nathan could say or ask anything.

She had no idea what to expect from him and was scared to find out.


	18. Where Does the Good Go?

**A/N:**_ Hello everyone! I can't say it enough times that I'm really glad you're all enjoying the story. Personally I'm not too happy with chapter but some things had to be done in order for certain character story lines to progress. So if you hate it, I hope you won't hold it against me ;)  
_

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**Chapter 18 - Where Does the Good Go?**

_What do you do with the leftover you _

_How do you know, when to let go_

_Where does the good go_

_Where does the good go_

Lucas explained to Brooke that he needed to talk a few things over with Haley. He assured his girlfriend that he wasn't angry for the secret the two girls kept but he wanted to get everything out in the open with his best friend. The last thing Lucas wanted was any more secrets between them all. Especially since he was beginning to see how holding them in could slowly break a person.

He could see it happening with Brooke.

Lucas knew and understood that some truths had yet to surface and he accepted it. But in regards to his friendship with Haley, he didn't want her to ever feel like she needed to lie to him.

"Okay… shouldn't I have been the one you dropped off first so you could go back to Brooke's and make out or something equally barf worthy?" Haley asked with a hint of teasing to her voice after Lucas returned from walking Brooke to her door. There, the couple had shared a sweet kiss that they kept PG-13 since Haley was probably watching from where she sat inside the car. Most likely making gagging noises to amuse herself as she waited.

"I just wanted to talk, Hales." Glancing between his best friend and the road, Lucas noted the confused expression she wore. "It's kind of important."

"Look, if this is some sort of late reaction to Nathan inviting me to the party… nothing happened between us," Haley declared, mistaking his pensiveness for something else entirely. "We barely even talked for a couple minutes. That's it," she defended, all the while uncertain as to why she felt so guilty for blowing Nathan off when he came over and made an effort to be nice.

"Well I'm glad to hear it but that wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about," Lucas said honestly. "I know what you and Brooke did for me that night I went to Tim's first party. But I'm not mad that you didn't tell me the whole truth about what happened. Brooke made it perfectly clear that keeping it a secret was all her idea," he explained as he pulled to a stop in front of a charming green two story home.

"Lucas, I'm sorry," Haley immediately said, shaking her head remorsefully. "And you're right… it _was_ Brooke's idea but I can't let her take all the blame for it. I made a choice to hold back some of the truth. I just… I don't know," she shrugged while Lucas patiently listened. "I listened to her talk about the way things worked and the stupid games they all played." Even weeks later, the thought of such a cruel process made her skin crawl. "I just didn't want things to get any worse for you and Brooke seemed to really know what she was talking about."

In the end, Haley wasn't sorry for the choice she made.

Granted, she had felt guilt over it for days after the incident but that slowly began to fade away as she started to realize just how bad things could get for Lucas. That combined with the fact that Brooke clearly cared about him.

Though she kept it hidden from everyone else, Brooke allowed Haley to see just how much she wanted to protect him. Sometimes it was subtle. A gesture as simple as leading Lucas away so that he'd be out of Nathan's path. Other times it was just talking to him in the middle of the hallway, something that wouldn't have been acceptable if anyone else had done it. At least not until he had completely gotten through his hazing because until then he wouldn't technically be one of them.

Or so Brooke explained earlier that day during their makeover.

"She cares a lot about you, Luke."

No one else knew about the arguments she repeatedly got into with Nathan over Lucas. And on the night of the party, Haley didn't understand exactly what Brooke risked by getting Lucas out of the woods before the others found him. She didn't understand most of what went on in their crazy inner circle when Brooke first attempted to explain it all.

But she understood it now and she couldn't let Brooke take the fall for something they had both agreed on.

"I know she does," he quietly replied. "I care a lot about her too."

"So are we okay?"

Nodding, Lucas gave her a small smile. "Yeah… we're okay. Just no more secrets. Whatever it is… you can always tell me, Hales."

"I know," she smiled back and gave him a brief hug. "Call me tomorrow, okay? Maybe we can do some best friend stuff like… I don't know, claiming weird items from the lost and found or something," Haley suggested with a grin. It had been a while since the two of them went off on their own to do something childish and fun.

"You got a deal," Lucas agreed and said his goodnight. Like the gentleman he was, he waited until Haley was safely inside the house before driving off.

Everything would be okay.

-----

Before Brooke and Lucas showed up for school on Monday morning, almost the entire student body already knew that they were dating. Brooke credited Bevin and Ashley for spreading the word. Both cheerleaders were fond of gossip, whether it was hearing about it or spreading it. And as it turned out, their hobby of choice actually came in handy as it saved the couple from the monotony of having to tell anyone who asked throughout the day that yes, they were dating.

"So the queen bee is actually dating the illegitimate brother of her supposed good friend," Peyton said dryly once she heard the news. "I can only imagine what Nathan's going to say when he sees you." She seemed almost amused and Brooke couldn't help but sigh, wondering again how things got so screwed up between her and Peyton.

Brooke asked herself at least a dozen times since their last falling out if it could have been prevented. She wondered if maybe she wasn't understanding or sympathetic enough. But in the end she realized that no matter how big of an effort she made, it wouldn't matter if Peyton wasn't willing to do the same.

"He knows," Brooke stated simply.

One of the last things she wanted to do was get into an argument with the blonde cheerleader over her new relationship with Lucas. Unfortunately if Peyton's latest mood swings were any indication, Brooke knew their conversation wouldn't be a pretty one. "He was the first person I told after it happened. He's fine with it," she shrugged.

But the moment the words left her mouth, Brooke realized that she shouldn't have said anything at all.

"Wait, let me get this straight," Peyton shook her head as though coming out of some sort of trance. "Nathan has this huge vendetta against his brother that practically drives him and me both crazy," she reminded. "And it didn't matter what _I_ said to him about it. He still wouldn't cool it and you knew that." The expression on her face seemed to get angrier with each word spoken. For a moment, Brooke felt a genuine pang of remorse. "But all _you_ had to do was click your heels together three times and suddenly all is forgiven?!" Peyton practically yelled, drawing a lot of unwanted attention.

All around them, students began to turn to watch the pair argue.

People always enjoyed a good fight but for some perverse reason, watching two best or former best friends always seemed more interesting.

"No, it wasn't as simple as that," Brooke denied in a quiet voice. "But if you want to talk about it, then fine… we'll talk. Just not here. Not with everyone staring at us, waiting to see if someone will throw the first punch or something," she shook her head at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Especially the idea that the two girls, no matter what kind of fall out they had, could ever get into a knock down, rolling around on the floor kind of fight.

That sort of thing only happened if the two friends were never really friends at all.

"Tell me the truth, Brooke. Once and for all," Peyton hissed angrily. "Were you fucking Nate the whole time we were together or is it just something you started after we broke up? Is it some kind of fun little game to you? Screw the Scott Brothers." The crowd let out a collective gasp as Peyton's venom filled words reached their ears. "Maybe that's why Nathan's okay with you and Lucas because he knows he has to share you or else you might just get bored and kick him to the curb the way he did with me."

When she looked at her, Brooke could hardly recognize the girl she had grown up alongside. Gone was her best friend. The one she stood beside at a mother's funeral. The girl she laughed and cried with. It was just gone. Erased as if it never existed and would never exist again.

Hot tears stung her eyes but Brooke refused to let them fall. She couldn't say anything.

"That's what I thought. You really are just a heartless slut."

She saw red as she continued to look at Peyton and before she could stop herself or think about the consequences, she raised her hand and slapped the blonde hard across the cheek.

"You bitch," Peyton whispered as Brooke stood still, shocked by her own actions. Cradling her cheek, she looked down at the brunette before uttering, "You'll pay for that."

Like a bull being released from its cage, Peyton lunged at Brooke and the two went down onto the floor. A crowd of spectators all flattened themselves against their lockers, giving the two girls enough room to roll around as each vied for the dominant spot on top. "Brooke! Peyton!"

Brooke's fist connected with Peyton's jaw after being slammed onto the tiles roughly.

Nathan yelled from one side of the hall but Lucas and Jake were closer on the other end. They made their way through the crowd even though they didn't want to disperse for the two ball players. Reaching the girls would mean the end of the fight and everyone wanted to see the former best friends continue until someone cried.

While Jake managed to pull a kicking and swinging Peyton off of Brooke, Lucas bent down to help her up.

Both had sore knuckles, a few scratches and bruises.

Even though Peyton had been the one on top, she seemed to have the most damage done to her. "What the hell was that?" Nathan demanded as he forced his way between the two pairs. "Brooke?" he asked, realizing that he had the best chance of getting any kind of answers from her rather than Peyton.

But no one was talking.

Lucas had turned Brooke around to face him and he gently pushed back the hair that had fallen across her face. Tears gently rolled down her cheeks and she bit her lip, desperately trying to stop them. He had his own questions but not the chance to ask them as the first bell rang. Teachers began to come up to their doorways and realizing that the fight was officially over, the group of students all began to scatter.

"Miss Davis and Miss Sawyer… my office… Now!"

Of all the teachers to bust them, it had to be Coach Whitey Durham.

-----

No one saw Brooke or Peyton for the rest of the morning. Both Lucas and Nathan were worried and curious about what had happened. Neither knew the source of the argument and considering how bad things had been between the two friends as of late, neither could guess what happened either.

But they were about to find out what kind of punishment the girls had been given.

Standing behind the food service center with a sixty year old worker in between them was Brooke and Peyton.

The girls had been given hair nets and paper aprons to wear over their clothes. Cheap plastic gloves covered their hands as they served food to incoming students. "If you laugh, Bevin I swear you're off the squad," Brooke warned when three of the cheerleaders stood, mouth open with surprise.

"Okay, but… smile!" Bevin said and snapped a picture with her cell phone.

"Bevin!"

"See ya at practice!" the blonde cheerleader called out happily as the three girls headed to the outdoor tables.

"I guess the mighty Brooke Davis doesn't have as many friends as she thought she did," Peyton muttered dryly. A dark tinge circled her eye as it slowly began to bruise. She thought it was worth it though since Brooke had a headache from hell. All noise had her cringing so Peyton made sure to drop the metal bins of food roughly onto the counter just to see Brooke squirm.

"I realize it's probably difficult for you to see out of your bad eye and all… but Bevin got both of us in that picture," Brooke informed in the same dry tone.

"Maybe we should just get something from the vending machines." Lucas suggested from the back of the cafeteria, where he and Haley stood watching the scene before them.

It was why they didn't notice Nathan had come up behind them until he finally spoke.

"Yeah, we probably shouldn't go up there," he opined. "It'd probably just embarrass them."

"So do you know what their fight was about?" Haley worked up the nerve to ask. She bit her lip uncertainly and tried not to feel disappointed when Nathan didn't so much as glance down at her. After all, she expected it considering how she blew him off at the party and then spent the first half of the school day avoiding him.

"I know about as much as guys do," Nathan shrugged. All morning long, rumors had been floating from classroom to classroom. Some said they were fighting over Lucas while others declared that they were fighting for Nathan. Then there was the rumor that Peyton was jealous because she wanted Brooke for herself.

Not to mention a half dozen other unbelievable scenarios.

"Just…" Nathan began hesitantly. "Make sure she's okay when you get the chance," he said and walked back outside.

"Come on," Haley added. The two friends followed suit and left before Brooke could see them.


	19. Underneath Your Clothes

**A/N:**_ Hello everyone, thanks for the reviews! To start with, in regards to whether that last bit of punishment was realistic, I'm sorry to anyone who didn't like it. Where I went to school, punishments were pretty unorthodox at times depending on who was handing them out. I saw students working in the cafeteria, helping janitors mop the floor and picking up trash outside. So to me, it was realistic but I understand if not everyone agrees. _

_Hope you all like this next part and again, thanks for all your reviews. They help me to see what I'm doing right and wrong. Thanks!_**  
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**Chapter 19 - Underneath Your Clothes**

_Because of you, I forgot the smart ways to lie_

_Because of you, I'm running out of reasons to cry_

_When the friends are gone, when the party's over_

_We will still belong to each other_

_Underneath your clothes, there's an endless story_

_There's the man I chose, there's my territory_

"Did you ever love me?"

Though Brooke and Peyton had been unable to make it to practice due to the detention Whitey had also issued them, the blonde cheerleader showed up at the doors as the gym began to empty. She was almost certain that Nathan was the last of the players to leave when she slowly approached him.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"I asked if you ever loved me," Peyton repeated quietly. "Because I used to think that you did but now I'm not so sure. I mean… you never would have been able to cheat on me if you had actually loved me," she mused. Her curls were unruly, as though she'd ran her hands through her hair several times. She also looked tired, Nathan couldn't help but notice as he looked at her face. "So then maybe that's my answer, huh? Maybe I just saw what I wanted to see."

Shaking his head, the tall basketball player set his bag down on the wooden floor and looked at the walls around them. He wasn't sure what he could say that would actually make his ex-girlfriend feel better. Nothing, he supposed. So he opted for honesty instead. "It wasn't about that Peyton," he finally said. "You just have these walls that I couldn't break down. Eventually I got tired of trying."

Her eyes lit with fire in them. Nathan knew then that he had said the wrong thing.

"When, huh?!" she demanded. "When did you ever try, Nathan? When did you care more about talking than getting into my pants?"

"When I figured out that sex was the only thing we'd ever be good at together," Nathan responded in the same irritated tone of voice. "You didn't give a crap about anything besides having the basketball captain on your arm when we first started going out. _Then_ when you wanted to actually get to know me… I was done trying to let you."

"That's bullshit and you know it," Peyton denied. "You never wanted me in. You didn't need me because you had Brooke. _She's_ the one you talked to."

"Damn it, Peyton! This has nothing to do with Brooke," Nathan declared as his frustration began to get the better of him.

"Doesn't it?" she questioned. "I asked you repeatedly to just stop that stupid feud you have with Lucas but you kept blowing me off. You didn't care that your vendetta was changing you and driving us apart," she yelled back. "But when _Brooke_ asked you to stop, what did you do… huh? You just let it all go." She let out a bitter laugh before adding, "I saw you today. In the cafeteria… you were standing there with Lucas and his tutor friend. You were talking."

Nathan couldn't deny that he _had_ talked to his brother and Haley. But Peyton had the wrong idea as to why. "The truth is that Brooke and I _do_ have a connection but it's not a threat to her and Lucas. It wasn't a threat to us either. She wasn't why we broke up and you know it."

"Oh that's right… it's because you **cheated**."

"Yeah, I cheated," he quietly acknowledged. "And I'm sorry for that, whether you believe it or not."

Shaking her head, Peyton wrapped her arms around herself. As if she was trying to stave off the chill that seemed to consume her. "The point is that you weren't willing to do it for me but you were willing to do it for her."

"I can't explain it, Peyton. I wish that I could but…"

"Are you in love with her?"

"What? God, Peyton. No," Nathan stated definitively. "It's like we're going in circles here. No, I'm not in love Brooke. It's never been anything like that."

"Then what is it?" she asked, almost pleadingly. "What is this connection you have with her? Why couldn't you have had it with me?" Peyton finished in a small voice.

Sighing, Nathan dug his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "I can't compare the two of you, Peyton. You were my girlfriend and she's my friend." But he knew that the words would be of little consolation to the blonde standing before him. She needed answers and he just didn't have many to give. "You know that we've been friends since we were kids," he added, referring to a friendship that developed because of two sets of parents that had similar society connections. "She knew me then. So I never really had to tell her what my problems were."

"But that's not fair," Peyton declared sadly. "It's like I was being penalized for not growing up with you. I was just… I was never going to be first with you, was I?" she asked, wondering if their relationship was doomed before it ever started. If maybe they both just had too many walls between them. "Was I?" she repeated when he stayed still and silent.

"I don't know Peyton," he finally said.

It may not have been what she wanted to hear, but it was honest.

"Right," she muttered quietly. "Right."

With nothing more to say, Peyton turned on her heel and began walking. A part of her wished that Nathan would call out and ask her to stop. But he never did. And Peyton tried to tell herself that it was for the best because all they ever managed to do was hurt each other. Or at least all _he_ ever did was hurt _her_.

So she kept walking and didn't let the first tears fall until the gym doors had closed behind her.

-----

"So why does she think something happened between you and him?" Lucas asked quietly as he and Brooke laid together on her bed. She'd tangled her legs with his and rested her head against his chest while he ran a gentle hand through her long dark hair.

"Because I think it's the only way for her to believe that their relationship fell apart," Brooke answered back just as quietly.

"But he cheated on her. Wasn't that the reason?"

Shrugging, Brooke searched for the words to explain a very complex girl. "Peyton doesn't have a lot of people in her life that she can depend on. But me and Nathan were supposed to be those people for her and I guess she's mad that we somehow disappointed her." Or so Brooke could guess. She was meant to take Peyton's side after Nathan cheated but when she couldn't reveal the truth about their initiation, Peyton assumed that Brooke had chosen Nathan instead.

It wasn't the case, but Peyton was too hurt to see that.

"Would you tell me about it?" Lucas asked, sounding almost hesitant.

"About what?" she wondered.

"About you and him."

Shrugging once more, Brooke began to trace invisible circles on his chest with the tip of her finger. "There's not much to tell," she admitted. "My mom and his are friends… at least when she's around. So we've known each other since we were kids and have been friends for about as long." Though they grew apart sometime during the 7th grade, freshman year renewed the friendship that had been neglected for two years. "We both made varsity, freshman year so we went to all the same parties and had all the same friends. Then with him and Peyton going out… we were around each other a lot."

Brooke was aware that many people, including her former best friend, assumed that Brooke and Nathan had hooked up at some point. They were supposed mirror images of each other. The male and female version of the same person. But the truth couldn't have been further from the truth.

He may have been Lucas' brother but sometimes he felt like hers.

"Sort of like you and tutor girl, I guess. Only with basketball, booze and parties."

Sighing, Lucas tightened his arms around her. Brooke snuggled a little closer, content in the safety of his embrace no matter what they talked about. "I won't say that I understand it but I know he's making an effort to get along with me. I know it's because of you that he's doing it," Lucas said and something in his words triggered something for Brooke.

"You know that you're the lucky one, right?" she asked suddenly, remembering the night she spent in his room, waiting for him to wake up after the guys on the team got him wasted.

Brooke sat up a little then and peered down at him with serious eyes.

"I know that his life seems ideal. The whole dad, money and popularity thing but it's overrated. And what _you_ have… it's the real thing, Lucas." She would give anything to have at least one parent care half as much about her as Karen did about Lucas. Not to mention Keith, who looked at him like a father would look at his son. "He has things, but you have people. You have love and security… you really are lucky. I promise you that."

Vulnerability blanketed her gaze. It was one of those rare moments where she let him see inside of her. When she opened herself up just a little bit more and gave him a small piece of herself that no one else had. "I _am_ glad for the people I have in my life, Brooke," he quietly acknowledged. "I'm glad I have you. Pretty girl."

Gently running his finger down her face, he felt her shiver against him. Her smile was soft. Her eyes locked with his.

Nervously, she ran her hand along the hem of his t-shirt before slowly pushing the material up. "I just want to feel you," she whispered, dancing her fingers over his skin. She enjoyed the way his muscles, taut and defined, tensed at her feather light touch. "Please." A voice that was filled with uncertainty, she was asking him for something that had nothing to do with lust and everything to do with the connection that seemed to grow by the day.

Brooke Davis didn't have many firsts left but the ones she _did _have… she wanted them to be with Lucas.

He held her gaze with blue eyes for a second more before he sat up and pulled his shirt away in one fell swoop.

Brooke reached for the elastic waistband of his black basketball shorts and with a shaky hand, tugged them down his hips. Mesmerized, Lucas watched as she removed her own shirt. Blue denim jeans followed, joining the pile of clothes on the end of the bed. "I've never done this before," she whispered and planted her palm against his chest to lightly push him back down against the mattress. "I've never really wanted to," she admitted.

"You're beautiful," he murmured as she stretched out on top of him.

Thin barriers of her green lace and his striped cotton boxers kept her movements from being sexual. It was intimate as she laid her head against his chest, listening to the rapid beats of his heart. She smiled when she felt his arms come around her, holding her body against his so that no amount of light or air could pass between them. "Your skin is warm," Brooke murmured, almost sleepily.

"That's because its touching yours," Lucas whispered back.

She smiled again.

He didn't see it… but he felt it.

-----

When Nathan showed up at the library for their tutoring session, Haley could see that something was definitely wrong with him. He seemed distract and distant. He offered nothing more than a quiet "_Hey,_" before pulling out the chair across from her. And though the obvious topic of concern would have been basketball, considering the way he was dressed in workout clothes, Haley guessed that it was something else entirely.

But she couldn't ask. She didn't think it was her place. So instead she focused on the work they were supposed to be doing.

"Okay… so how far have you gotten on the Steinbeck essay?"

Glancing down at her small stack of pages, Haley waited for his answer. But Nathan didn't respond. The faraway look in his eyes told her that even though his body was with her… his mind was somewhere else entirely. So she sighed, wondering again what she should do before opting once more to stay on topic.

"Nathan?" she hissed persistently and managed to not only catch his attention but the gaze of an annoyed librarian. "Great," Haley muttered under her breath and waited until the older woman had turned away before repeating, "The Steinbeck essay. How far have you gotten?"

His eyes were questioning at first before a light seemed to go on in his head. "Not far," Nathan admitted, his sudden movements startling her. "Listen, Haley I'm sorry but I gotta go. I just… I'll work on the essay when I get home, okay?" But he didn't wait for her to respond before reaching for the bag he'd deposited on the carpet not more than minute before.

Open mouthed, Haley watched him go until he disappeared behind the reference books.

"What in the world was that about?" she muttered to herself while a few streets over, Peyton Sawyer sat in her car with the top down and the wind blowing through her hair. She watched the green shine out from the overhead streetlight, waiting for its color to turn yellow and eventually red. Waiting for a chance to tempt again as she did whenever her frustrations began to feel like too much to handle.

Once, when she first found out about it, Brooke told her that she was being selfish. She said that if Peyton wanted a rush, she should bungee jump or parachute out of an airplane. Any type of extreme sport rather than waiting with her foot on the brake for the exact moment the lights turned. "_You're not just risking your life_," she said, almost scolding. "_But what about the mom or the five year old twins that might be in the car that picked the wrong moment to drive across the street you're on?"_

Peyton said that Brooke didn't understand and never would.

The brunette was inclined to agree.

"Come on," she muttered impatiently as the green dimmed and the yellow took its turn illuminating the quiet street.

When she saw red, Peyton hit the gas and went speeding down the road. Knuckles began to turn white as she gripped the steering wheel tightly, holding the car steady as it picked up speed.

She blinked and a car was suddenly at her side.

Instinct kicked in and Peyton jerked the wheel, sending her car went skidding in a circle across the road. The blaring horn filled her ears along with the quick beats of her heart. Breathing was ragged, scared. She felt like she couldn't catch it. She couldn't slow down the frantic thundering as her heart hammered the inside of her chest.

She was alive.

Suddenly all she could do was lean her head against the wheel and cry.


	20. You Found Me

**A/N:**_ Hello everyone! Not too much happening in this chapter, mostly just a lot of thinking. I'm glad that you're enjoying the Brucas stuff!! For those who are waiting for it, the moment they finally give in to each other is coming soon and hopefully it'll be worth the wait. As for Peyton... well I've always said that despite her horrible attitude, she has her reasons for behaving a certain way. It won't quite come out now but little by little you'll get glimpses of it. _

_So thank you all for the amazing reviews!! I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Thanks!_

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**Chapter 20 - You Found Me**

_You found me when no one else was looking_

_How did you know where I would be_

_Yeah, you broke through all of my confusion_

_The ups and the downs and you still didn't leave_

_I guess that you saw what nobody could see_

_You found me_

When he walked outside to get his daughter's favorite stuffed animal from inside his mother's car, Jake Jagielski noticed an old black convertible parked sideways in the middle of the street. A head of blonde curls was visible from inside, revealing the identity of the driver. Jake only knew one girl who had hair as kinky as hers.

"Peyton?" he called out and hurried towards the car. Instead of a response, he heard her broken sobs and quickened his steps. "Are you…" he began to ask when she looked up at him suddenly with black tears rolling down her cheeks. Eyes red rimmed stared into his, almost as if she was trying to discern whether or not he was real. "Are you okay?"

"I…" she stuttered as her mouth moved like a fish out of water.

Finally she just shook her head. She was tired of pretending.

"No."

-----

When they were on the court together, it was hard not to focus on the Scott brothers. One blonde and the other brunette. A few inches separated them in height even though a world separated them in every other way. If asked to describe their game, one would say that Nathan's talent came from hard work and hours spent practicing every aspect of the game. Lucas' abilities, on the other hand, were more natural than refined.

Two different brothers. Two different games. One goal in mind.

To win.

"Smith throws an outlet pass to Lucas Scott. He catches and finds the team's captain, Nathan Scott up court," Mouth described as he sat near the scores table, broadcasting the live action through which was the school's sports page. "Shake and Bake. Nathan scores two on a layup and puts the Ravens up by six."

Even with the team on the road, the stands were filled with blue and white. Students, parents and friends cheered as the Ravens continued to build a steady lead. "Alright Nathan! Go Ravens!" Brooke cheered alongside Bevin and Theresa. The latter taking the spot that was normally reserved for Peyton. Only the curly haired blonde had been absent when the cheerleaders boarded the bus. A phone call that went directly to voice mail told the captain that her once friend was obviously not coming.

"You know… I'd mention how hot Lucas looks tonight in his jersey," Theresa began mischievously. "But considering the fact that Peyton's been walking around with a shiner since Monday… I should probably keep it to myself. Wouldn't want you throwing any punches and disturbing the game."

Determined not to let the other girl get the best of her, Brooke shot her a fake smile. "Why do I care if you _look_?" she asked, flippantly. "I'm the one that gets to _touch_."

"Nothing but net as Lucas Scott sinks a three," Mouth continued. "It's the end of the half and the Ravens are up by nine."

From where she stood at the baseline, Brooke scanned the crowd and saw Karen, Haley and Keith sitting amongst the Ravens fans. Unfortunately, further down sat Dan Scott. He wore a mask of aggravation, glaring at Lucas' back as he followed the rest of his teammates into the visitor's locker room.

Considering everything Nathan said about his father over the years, Brooke could guess that Dan was angry because Lucas was currently leading all scorers.

"Jackass," she muttered under her breath. Out loud she said, "Alright ladies…let's go. Remember we start on the third beat and don't forget to smile," Brooke instructed and led them out onto the court to dance.

For the first time, Whitey had nothing negative to say once he got the boys into locker room. If anything, he was actually surprised that Lucas and Nathan were passing the ball between each other. Something that had _not_ happened in their previous five games. "Glad to see you all took your heads out of your asses and decided to play a little basketball," he said gruffly. "Tim, I want you to try and find Lucas on the wing. Nathan, I want you to drive the lane tonight. No outside shots unless you're wide open. Springer… I want more defensive boards."

Tired and sweaty, the boys watched as Whitey drew several plays on the dry erase board.

Despite his excellent performance on the court, the guys knew something was wrong with Nathan when he didn't protest their coach's instruction. Normally he'd get angry if Whitey told him to go for the easy lay in instead of his preferred outside shot. "Hey man, what's wrong with you?" Tim asked quietly. Where their coach was concerned, the otherwise loud mouthed point guard knew better than get caught talking out of turn. It was a sure fire way to get assigned a few extra reps of horses at the next practice.

"It's a locker room, Tim. Not Dr. Phil's couch," Nathan retorted and stared intently at the board, pretending to be interested in the newest play.

Lucas was even tempted to ask his half brother what had him so distracted but he bit his tongue at the last minute. Maybe they were able to be civil on the court but he doubted they were anywhere near ready for a heart to heart. Not that he was even sure he wanted a friendship and especially not in the middle of the locker room with the entire team surrounding them.

-----

Still on a high from their win, the bus was loud with talkative students who couldn't seem to sit still. Whitey had given up trying to quiet them and instead sat in front with a set of headphones over his ears. The team members could only guess at what kind of old music he was listening to.

But in the group of excited, almost obnoxious athletes and their cheerleaders, two were quiet and detached from the rest.

"What's the deal with him, anyway?" Lucas asked Brooke once she'd settled in beside him. Though boys and girls were supposed to stay in separate seats, Whitey wasn't paying much attention to the happenings in the back of the bus. Plus Brooke was so small that it was impossible to see the brunette captain with the team's center sitting directly in front her.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I haven't really talked to him since the party on Saturday."

Brooke was surprised that they hadn't spoken at some point after the fight broke out with Peyton. She assumed that Nathan heard the rumors just as everyone else had but he never came to her and asked for the true story. Something that was definitely out of character considering that the quarrelling pair were both girls he cared about. "Well between the two of us, if anyone would know what's wrong with him it'd be you," Lucas replied.

"I guess the whole brooding thing must be a family trait," Brooke laughed before noticing the somber look her words placed on Lucas' face. Her eyes closed for a remorseful moment as she realized how insensitive she probably sounded. "Oh god, I'm such an idiot. I'm sorry," she quickly apologized.

"It's not a big deal," Lucas denied and took Brooke's hand in his, interlacing their fingers. "It's not like I'm in denial or anything. I know he's my brother," he explained and offered Brooke a small smile to show her that he wasn't mad or offended by her words. "Don't worry about it," he assure while a few seats over, Nathan stared out at the passing scenery, thinking about recent events.

He couldn't get Peyton's sad expression out of his mind.

He hurt her, something that had never been a question but he supposed he never realized the extent of it until he saw that look. The one that told him he had broken her heart.

It strange to him, almost surprising because when he looked back on their relationship, Nathan had to acknowledge that he never believed Peyton was in love with him.

Yes, she had feelings for him. She probably cared a lot about him but what they had, however great it was at the time, wasn't something that was meant to last. Nathan knew that and assumed Peyton did too. But after talking to her in the gym, he wondered if maybe he had somehow led her on. If maybe his actions spoke louder than the words he did and didn't say.

Then there was Haley.

Nathan couldn't deny having a small crush on his studious tutor. Her smile made him want to smile back and he admired the way she called him on his bullshit. But he also couldn't deny that she seemed utterly appalled by the idea of dating him. Not that he had asked. But he could see it. The nervous glint in her eyes whenever he got too personal or the way she'd catch herself before laughing for too long in front of him.

It was a disappointment and Nathan knew that he had only himself to blame for her obvious wariness.

Still… it didn't make it any easier to acknowledge.

"Are you still worried about Peyton?" Lucas asked once Brooke had grown quiet, something that was unusual for the normally cheery brunette.

"Habit, I guess," she excused because after everything that had happened, she really had no reason to still care. But she did.

Strangely, Jake's mind was in a similar place.

He couldn't stop thinking about Peyton though not for obvious reasons. He wasn't thinking about the blonde cheerleader, he was thinking about the broken girl that cried in her car. The girl that spilled her guts to him in a matter of moments and who couldn't stop her tears once the flood gates had opened.

Jake didn't understand half the stuff she said, but he listened.

He supposed that was all she really needed anyway.

-----

"You know, I'm always going on and on about the crazy stuff in my life but you never really tell me about yours," Brooke declared quietly as she drove Lucas home. The bus had arrived a few minutes earlier and while some where heading out to party for a little while, the new couple opted to do their own thing.

"You already know the craziest part," Lucas said with a laugh, noting her look of concentration as she thought about it. "Actually, you probably know more about it than I do," he added, referring to her years long friendship with Nathan. A friendship that Lucas was only just beginning to get comfortable with. And it had nothing to do with trusting Brooke, because he did. It wasn't even about trusting Nathan though he really didn't. It was more about coming to terms with the fact that a girl he cared so much about was literally stuck, for whatever reasons, between him and his brother.

"We never really talked about it," Brooke shrugged as she kept her eyes focused on the road she drove along.

"So what _do _you talk about?" he wondered.

"Different things." She thought about it carefully, remembering past conversations before adding, "Basketball and Peyton, mostly. At least when they were still dating. Sometimes about the dumb social parties our parents make us attend with them." Then she shrugged, unable to come up with an interesting enough answer. "Besides that, it's probably the same sort of stuff you and tutor girl talk about."

"I doubt you and Nathan talk about what a jackass he is," Lucas joked, drawing a laugh from his girlfriend.

"You'd be surprised," she smiled teasingly. "Hmm.. looks like your uncle's home," she added as they pulled up to his front walk and spied Keith's blue pickup parked on the curb.

"Yeah, they told me after the game that they wanted for us all to have dinner together," Lucas explained and peered at Brooke curiously. "Do you want to come with us to my mom's café?"

"I don't want to intrude," Brooke quickly replied.

"You wouldn't be," Lucas assured and leaned forward to place a lingering kiss on her lips. "They said I was more than welcome to bring you along."

Because he cared so much about her and because Brooke was his first real girlfriend, it meant a lot to him that his mother and uncle seemed to like her so much. Especially since the two spent so much time together. He had half expected for his mom to tell him that they were seeing too much of each other. But the conversation never happened and Lucas wasn't sure if it was because of Brooke or because of Keith.

Despite his busy schedule as of late, Lucas wasn't so oblivious that he didn't notice something going on between Karen and his uncle. But since they hadn't said anything to him about it, he didn't say anything to them. He decided to wait until they were ready to come clean, not that he blamed them.

Neither had had much of a social life since he was born. Karen because she felt like her first priority had to be Lucas. Then Keith because he was always so hung up on Karen.

Plus no one could deny that Dan Scott would have some unkind words to say once he found out that his brother and ex were now dating. He may not have chosen to marry Karen but that didn't mean that he didn't still feel like he had a claim to her. As barbaric as it sounded. "If you're sure," Brooke said uncertainly.

"Positive," Lucas smiled. "Come on, pretty girl."

But when they quietly walked through the kitchen door, they were surprised to find most of the lights off. The bigger surprise was finding Karen and Keith making out on the couch like a couple of horny teenagers. "Oh god!" Lucas said and snapped his eyes shut as Keith quickly slid his hand out from beneath Karen's blouse.

"Oh my god!" Brooke added laughingly. Then because everyone was so embarrassed and the tension was thick enough to be cut with a knife, she added, "You three look like you've seen a ghost."

Blushing, Karen looked between Keith and Lucas before settling her gaze on the safest choice. "Brooke, why don't we go to the kitchen and make some hot chocolate," she suggested quietly.

"Sure," she agreed easily.

"You can… open your eyes now, Luke," Keith said slowly as the two females left the room.

When they talked about the right time to tell Lucas, neither Keith nor Karen envisioned it happening because the young teen found them in a compromising position. Instead they planned for Keith to do it. Man to man. Mostly because he was old enough for the straight forward approach and also because Karen didn't want him to feel overwhelmed by the both of them coming at him with the news.

"Right. Sorry," he muttered, feeling like a kid for the way he reacted.

"It's okay," Keith waved it away. "But, uh… I guess now you know. Your mom and I are… dating," he explained for lack of a better word. To the both of them it was so much more than that but dating seemed to be the only word Keith could find to describe it to Lucas. "And between you and me... I want to marry her."

Rubbing his palms against his pants, Lucas opened and closed his mouth a couple times before sitting down opposite his uncle. "The dating part, I already kind of knew," he admitted. "You guys are pretty obvious," he added by way of explanation. "The other part… not so much."

"Well she doesn't know either if that's any consolation," Keith said quietly.

"Are you gonna ask her or…"

"I wanted to give you time to adjust to the dating before doing anything else," Keith admitted, sensing the direction his nephew's thoughts had taken. "And I wanted to know that you were okay with it before I asked her."

All his life, Keith had been the father Lucas never had. He was the one that supported Karen when it began to feel like too much to handle. He taught Lucas how to play both basketball and football. He was the one who gave him 'the talk' when the time came to hear it and he was the one who took responsibility when Dan Scott wouldn't.

He was a part of their family and Lucas couldn't have been happier to find out that Keith wanted to make it official.

"I'm okay with it," he said softly and smiled. "More than okay, actually," but didn't have the chance to say anything else.

"Two hot babes coming into the room," Brooke called out in warning as she and Karen appeared carrying two cups of hot chocolate each. Lucas and Keith both laughed at her description but Karen couldn't help blushing, shaking her head in amusement. "So… um…Lucas. Did you want to work on that… homework thing, now?" she asked, giving him an out in case he needed time to process.

"Yeah, we should probably uh…g-get to that. Now, I mean," he agreed and took Brooke's hand in his own. Lucas couldn't describe it, but the touch of her skin somehow comforted him. It was a feeling that he got from time to time before and just after they began dating. But since the night they fell asleep pressed together with almost every inch of their skin touching, Lucas had been getting that feeling more and more.

"Not too late," Karen called out to their retreating backs once the pair bid the two adults a good night. "Remember, it's a school night."


	21. Nobody's Home

**A/N:**_ Hi everyone! First of all I want to thank you for your great reviews. To those who have just begun this story a chapter or two ago, I'm glad you found it and that you're enjoying it so far! All the feedback has been amazing, whether it's good or bad because it helps me to see what I'm doing right or wrong. _

_This next part was a bit difficult for me to write but it was something that had to be done. I just hope that you aren't too disappointed by it. Also some of your questions will be answered here and the parts that aren't quite explained will come soon. I'm actually pretty nervous here but the way it played it was how I envisioned it from the very beginning so... here goes nothing.  
_

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**Chapter 21 - Nobody's Home**

_Her feelings she hides_

_Her dreams she can't find_

_She's losing her mind_

_She's falling behind_

_She can't find her place_

_She's losing her faith_

_She's fallen from grace_

_She's all over the place_

The next three basketball games went down in the books as victories. Tree Hill High was undefeated and looking to stay that way as they approached winter break. Two week's worth of time off to celebrate Christmas and the start of a new year. But the Raven's record wasn't the only source of talk throughout the halls.

"Okay, seriously tutor girl… you can't skip the Winter Formal. Next to prom it's the biggest event of the year and even then prom isn't really _that_ big of a deal until we're seniors," Brooke declared as she sat across from her new friend in the tutor center. One of the few quiet places left in the school since half the students spent breaks between classes trying to get a date for the dance. "Besides, you proved at Tim's party that you could be hot if you wanted to."

"Gee, thanks. I might just blush," Haley retorted sarcastically.

"Come on, Hales. Isn't there at least one guy… any guy that you'd like to go with?" Brooke asked while Haley felt a wave of disappointment in herself when her thoughts immediately drifted to Nathan. No matter how many times she told herself that he just wasn't the one for her, she couldn't squelch the small crush she had somehow developed on the team's captain. "I hear Tim's still looking for a date," she added teasingly, hoping to coax a smile from the otherwise serious girl.

"Yeah, I'm not that desperate," Haley stated, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation. "Besides Brooke, it's not like all of us are snow queen material," she continued blithely. "And not all of us are interested in being dressed up like evening gown Barbie for a date that'll inevitably want to go get drunk afterwards at some basketball player's beach house."

"Retract those claws, kitty," Brooke said and leaned back in her chair, glancing at Haley speculatively. "Wow…someone is definitely glass half empty today."

"Is that Brooke speak for cynical?" Haley asked.

"You know, I'm on to you," Brooke declared as though Haley hadn't spoken. "You have a crush on a guy but you won't admit it. So you don't want to go to the formal either because you can't go with him or because you _won't_ go with him," she stated while it was Haley's turn to sit back and stare. "Don't pretend I'm wrong either. I have a total sixth sense when it comes to hook ups."

"Yeah, well… whether I deny it or not, it doesn't really matter because I'm not going to the formal," Haley informed once she'd recovered from the surprise of Brooke's prediction.

"We'll see," Brooke said with a smile, one that made Haley nervous, before the brunette flounced out of the room.

"God help me," she muttered to herself and dropped her head against the table. Who knew what kind of trick Brooke Davis would pull out from under her sleeve?

-----

"So you and Peyton break up. Basically, you realized you were never really in love with her, cheated on her and let her find out," Brooke declared as she stood on the court and watched Nathan practice his jump shots. "Now it's been weeks and you haven't asked another girl out. You haven't even had a random hook up at a party, not that I'm making a suggestion. But needless to say, it's not because you're pining over Peyton."

Shaking his head, Nathan reached for another ball and sunk the shot. "That's for the recap, B. It's a big help and all since I slept through the last few weeks of my life," Nathan retorted sarcastically.

"Alright, grouch. Did you wake up on the wrong side of nobody this morning?"

"Cute."

"But enough about me," Brooke continued with a half hearted wave. "Tell me that you're abstaining from girls because you're hung up on a particular tutor. And don't bother denying it. You and I both know that I'm right," she added when she saw Nathan open his mouth to protest. Her words, not unlike the ones she said to Haley earlier that morning.

"Doesn't matter anyway," Nathan said, shrugging like it was no big deal.

"Okay, I know a lot but I don't know everything," Brooke admitted. "Tell me why it doesn't matter."

With a sigh, Nathan released the ball he was about to shoot and turned towards his long time friend. "You know why." Plain and simple with no pretenses. "There's no way she'd accept it and don't even try to pretend its okay. Otherwise you would have let Lucas in on your own little secret already. But there's a reason why you're scared and it's the same as mine." The words brought it back again. It seemed like they could never quite get away from it. Like they could never actually outrun their past.

"God, Nate… how screwed up were we? Shaking her head, Brooke laughed humorlessly. "What the hell were we thinking?" she asked as her own pretenses began to fall away.

"Whatever the hell it was, it definitely wasn't about the future," he replied quietly.

"You know I always figured you were okay with it," Brooke confessed after a hesitant pause. "You acted like it was no big deal and it wasn't nearly as embarrassing for you as it was for me," she muttered, remembering an event that felt like it had happened a lifetime before. "It always used to make me mad, you know? The one person I shared it with didn't even seem as affected by it."

Rolling his eyes, Nathan shook his head. "Right, B. Like it wasn't completely humiliating for me," he said with his own laugh. "I just had to play it off differently. Show no fear and all that crap. Especially after I saw how hard they were making it for you afterwards."

Brooke noticed that his voice had begun to sound sad, almost remorseful as he admitted what it had been like for him. She supposed it would be worse if he knew the entire story but he didn't. Brooke had never given anyone all the details before no matter how tempted she was to talk about it. "Well I got through it," she sighed quietly. "And I _am_ going to tell Lucas. I just have no idea how. I mean… how do you even start a conversation like that? What can I say that won't change the way he looks at me?" she asked, gazing up at her friend pensively.

"You must be desperate if you're coming to me for advice on Lucas." It was meant as a joke to lighten the mood but Brooke didn't see it that way.

"Forget it, Nate. Just… forget I said anything at all," Brooke shook her head, feeling foolish for asking in the first place.

"Wait. I'm sorry," he apologized and reached for her arm.

It was then that Lucas walked through the gym doors with his backpack slung over one shoulder. He glanced between the pair, unspeaking and waiting for one of them to say something first. "You don't have to apologize," Brooke told Nathan and gently removed his fingers from her wrist. With purposeful steps and not once looking back, Brooke walked towards Lucas and smiled. "Hey boyfriend," she greeted, looking up at him with serious eyes. "Do you think we could go somewhere to talk?"

There was no turning back.

Brooke knew that Lucas accepted her inability to reveal too much about her past at once. But keeping secrets would only lead to problems. She understood that after talking to Nathan because he was having the same problem. The difference was that he wasn't confident enough to tell the person he cared for the truth. Brooke, on the other hand, realized that she was no longer willing to take the chance of losing Lucas because of the things she hid.

Afterwards he could make his own decision and Brooke would just have to accept it.

"Sure," he agreed quietly after one final glance at his brother.

Nathan felt genuine concern for his friend as he watched walk out of the gym with Lucas by her side.

He may have had issues with his brother but for Brooke's sake, he hoped Lucas was the guy Brooke believed him to be. Otherwise his friend was in for a lot of heartache. And Nathan knew that Brooke would never risk opening her heart to anyone else again if Lucas turned his back on her.

-----

With an open campus policy in effect, it wasn't difficult for Brooke and Lucas to drive off in her car. But where to go seemed to be the problem. Brooke didn't want to go back to her house or Lucas' because she had good memories of them as a couple in both places. She didn't want to ruin that in case everything blew up in her face. The same for the Rivercourt and anywhere in public was out of the question as well. So Brooke drove and kept going until they reached the edge of town, just beyond the city's limits.

"What's wrong, Brooke?"

Lucas, for the most part, had been patient even though the expression on his face told Brooke that he had a million questions.

"It's someday," she said once they had driven down a dirt path and rolled to a stop in front of an old house. The wood was burned in most places, battered and broken even as it still remained standing. Tall grass seemed to hide it from the highway's view, masking Brooke and Lucas along with it as they sat inside her car. "I'm not sure that I'm ready for this but I can't keep running from it either," Brooke quietly admitted and remained facing the scene in front of her as Lucas turned in his seat. She could feel his eyes on her. Could hear his even breathing. He wanted to say something but she guessed that he didn't know what it should be.

"What did I walk in on back at the gym?" Lucas finally asked. "With you and Nathan."

"Bad memories," Brooke answered with a small shrug.

"About what?" he asked softly.

"Initiation."

It was another one of those words that Lucas had come to hate since joining the basketball team. Five syllables yet it invoked so much dread whenever he heard it.

"Okay…" taking a deep breath, Brooke finally forced her eyes to look at Lucas. "Before I start, I need you to promise that you'll just let me get it all out. That you won't ask any questions until I'm finished because if I have stop… I don't know if I'll be able to keep going," she admitted, eyes pleading.

"Brooke…."

"Please."

She hadn't even begun and already she looked broken. Lucas was tempted to tell her that none of it mattered anymore. That he didn't need to know but he sensed that she needed him to listen anyway. "Okay," he nodded and felt his hand shake as he stopped himself from reaching out to take hers. He saw on her face that she didn't want his touch and Lucas had to remind himself not to feel offended by it.

"Okay," she agreed shakily. "Okay."

Dragging in another long breath, she closed her eyes and remembered. It was now or never.

"It came in a lot of different stages but it began with sex," Brooke stated and glanced down at the hands she folded in her lap. "It was freshman year. I had just made the varsity squad and so had Nathan. So they threw this party out at Felix Tagarro's beach house." She cringed at the thought of him and more so when she had to say his name out loud. "We were the youngest in the group and they all expected us to be the king and queen of the school when our time came. So they needed an initiation that was fitting for the power we'd one day have."

Dread settled in the pit of his stomach as Lucas feared he'd hear the worst. In his mind he imagined Brooke saying that she slept with his brother. That he had been her first and their conversation in the gym had been about Brooke wanting to admit it to Lucas. And because of his fear, he almost missed what Brooke said next.

"Two captains of two squads breaking in the two new recruits."

He blinked in surprise but Brooke didn't notice. She continued to stare at her lap as her voice began to hitch.

"I wasn't even fifteen yet but Felix didn't really care. _I_ did, but… the alternative seemed so much worse," she shrugged and rolled her eyes at herself. "I was in, you know? I knew it existed and they'd done so many screwed up things that they couldn't risk me telling anyone just because I'd gotten cold feet." Brooke felt tears gather in the corners of her eyes but willed them not to fall. "They promised hell if I didn't go through with it and after I did… they gave me hell anyway."

She felt like a slut. They made her feel that way and she had done nothing to help it afterwards.

"It hurt," her voice cracked. Lucas felt anger course up and down his body, looking at the beautiful girl who had been broken by a stupid game. "I cried the whole time and he turned his face away so that he wouldn't have to see my tears. And when it was done, I just laid there naked on the sheets and stared at a small spot of my blood that had been left behind." She could still picture it perfectly. From the paintings on the walls to the scent of fabric softener that clung to the linens. "Then I threw up. It was all over the floor and I couldn't stop crying."

When she broke down, she finally let Lucas wrap his arms around her. She buried her face against his chest and soaked his shirt with tears while he gently stroked her back.

"He didn't use a condom," she whispered, determined to get it all out at once despite Lucas' quiet assurances that he didn't need to hear anything else. "I didn't know the difference." Brooke thought about everything that happened next, still amazed that after such a horrible experience, it still managed to get worse. "They videotaped us and everybody sat down to watch it while they drank beer and ate popcorn. It was a sick joke the way they stared at the screen like they were in a theater." All except Nathan because he was too freaked out about the images he saw and scared when he realized that they'd probably taped him too.

"Everyone laughed because I cried and Felix just… he just looked so damn proud of himself." Hating him was a constant in her life. Something that hadn't changed from the age of fourteen to two years later and despite the fact that he was now gone. "He broke me in, he got me first. And he caught it all on film so there was no chance of me ever telling anyone about the things I knew."

"Brooke…."

"I was pregnant," she blurted out as shame washed over her. "I didn't know. I promise I didn't know."

"Brooke, no. Not anymore," Lucas said, watching her break all over again. "You don't have to say anything more."

His own body shook with anger. The tale she told was a horror story and he'd never wished for anything more than he did in that moment to find Felix Tagarro. "But you promised," Brooke reminded brokenly. "Please," she begged even though everything inside of her was screaming to stop. She couldn't. Not when it was the first time she'd ever admitted any of it out loud to anyone. Not when she needed Lucas to know everything before things between them went any further.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear. Not for the promise he desperately wanted to break but for all the things she'd endured. For the secret she had to keep. "I'm so sorry." It was his turn to beg. Only his wish was for her to stop because he feared that nothing would ever be okay for her again if she finally said all the words out loud.

But she didn't listen and her remembrances only made her sob louder while his chest did nothing to muffle the sound. "I-I couldn't move. And n-no one was h-home yet," she kept on in a voice that was almost inaudible. "I was… was having a… a m-miscarriage and I didn't even know I h-had been p-pregnant."

Even after what had happened with Felix, the day Brooke learned she was pregnant was the worst one of her life.

"The maid was the one who t-took me in and when my… my m-mom found out a few days later… she wasn't worried or sad. She just s-slapped my face and then took me to that doctor to get all kinds of… of tests. She wanted him to put me on the p-pill so that it wouldn't happen a-again."

Brooke couldn't continue because her sobs became so loud that she felt like she couldn't breathe. Her hands clutched at Lucas' shirt and she wanted nothing more than to just crawl into his lap and let him hold her. To chase away the ghosts that had haunted her ever since that fateful night at the beach house. The night she began to feel like a whore for the things she allowed to happen. It changed her and slowly she became the thing she most detested. She turned it all around and used sex as a defense against boys who got too close because she could then push them away afterwards. She could be the slut who strayed from commitment and no one would second guess it because that was who she was.

The legendary easy one.

She would have gone through high school the same way she began it only something changed along the way. Lucas had walked into her life and she didn't want to push. She didn't want to keep him at a distance because Brooke wanted him to have her heart. The look in his eyes and the gentle way he held her told Brooke how well he would guard it.

So she broke all the rules. All the carefully constructed walls that were meant to keep away the outsiders.

"I'm sorry."

It broke his heart and filled it with rage and remorse all at once.

Lucas remembered Felix. He was a smug basketball player, the former point guard on the Ravens team. He had also dated more than his share of girls while he'd been at Tree Hill High. Something that had earned him a reputation he always seemed so proud of.

A player in another sense of the word.

Haley had even had a crush on him when they were freshman because he and her sister Taylor were such good friends and he spent a lot of time in the James house.

"I'm sorry," Brooke continued to whisper over and over. She shook life a leaf in his embrace and Lucas tightened his hold around her. He had buried his face in the crook of her neck and his hot tears fell onto her skin. It was helplessness. The overwhelming feeling of being able to do nothing to help the person you loved. "I hate him so much."

"So do I," Lucas murmured against her neck.

"D-do you think you could… forgive me?" Brooke whispered fearfully, scared to let go because she thought it might be the last time he'd hold her so close.

Closing his eyes against the anger and sadness, Lucas didn't speak. Not at first.

"Luke?"

"Nothing to forgive, pretty girl," he said in a voice thick with emotion.

Lucas held her while she cried and continued to hug her close even after her tears had dried.

"Nothing to forgive."


	22. Broken

**A/N: **_I was overwhelmed by the amazing responses the last chapter got. Now I'm really scared to disappoint, lol. So... the big moment is coming up soon but a few more things had to be said and done first, I hope you all approve. Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. Like I mentioned before, the chapter was difficult to write because the wrong wording can throw the whole thing off and make it seem unrealistic, but enough about that. Hope you enjoy this next one!_

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**Chapter 22 - Broken**

_I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing_

_With a broken heart, that's still beating_

_In the pain there is healing_

_In your name I find meaning_

_So I'm holding on, I'm holding on, I'm holding on_

_I'm holding on to you_

Lucas slid into the driver's seat and drove to Brooke's house because he knew that no one else would be there. She had almost cried herself to sleep out in the field before he lifted his head from where it rested in the crook of her neck. They both felt exhausted by it all. A story that had never been told about a girl who had her innocence stolen in a vicious way.

Brooke wouldn't even consider that what had been done to her was rape because she didn't say no. At least not after her initial reaction to the idea. Instead she had agreed to go upstairs with Felix, despite the dread and fear she felt. And when he slid inside of her, she'd done nothing to stop it.

So she carried it around with her like a scarlet letter, convinced that it was no one's fault but her own.

"You should take my car and go back to school, Luke. If you miss practice, Whitey might not let you play tomorrow," Brooke said, worried about his game more than she was worried about getting through the rest of the afternoon alone. "I'll be fine," she added as convincingly as possible but she wasn't fooling anyone. Least of all her boyfriend.

"None of that matters right now, Brooke."

He wished he knew how to help her. It had all happened two years before but the scars still seemed fresh.

"Luke…" but she couldn't bring herself to protest because the truth was that she didn't want to be alone. More than anything she wanted him to just stay with her. To make her feel safe for just a little bit longer while she worked on putting it all in the back of her mind again. "Are you sure?" she asked timidly.

Lucas hated that the memory of Felix alone could turn his confident girlfriend into someone that was so uncertain. He couldn't help but wonder how many other times in the past someone had taken it all too far. How many other girls had eyes that filled with tears as they thought about their initiations? About the nights they were welcomed into the group after paying a small fee that sometimes wasn't that small.

They called it a game but it would mean nothing once they'd walked the stage on graduation day. Pranks they pulled and pictures they took of each other in compromising places… none of it would matter in college. Yet the players continuously banded together each year to tear apart the worlds of the newest team members.

"Come on," Lucas gently coaxed and walked around to Brooke's side of the car to hold open her door.

With her hand in his, the couple made their way up to the red door and found silence on the other side of it. "You deserved to know the truth but I don't want this to change us," Brooke said once they were tucked away inside her bedroom. She had instantly climbed onto her bed, legs folded beneath her but Lucas kept his distance. He continued to stand by the door as if he was scared to get too close. "You don't have to feel sorry for me," she added sternly. "It was a long time ago. I'm fine now."

But Lucas knew that she wasn't.

Unfortunately Brooke had a lot of pride and breaking down in front of him had placed a serious dent in it. She also believed that given the chance, she'd be able to lock away the memory again just as she always did. She just needed a little more time to do it. "Lucas, I'm still me. I'm still the same girl I was yesterday and the week before that. The only difference is now you know_ why_ I'm this girl," she reasoned, hoping that she hadn't done irreparable damage to their relationship. To his view of her.

"Brooke, knowing the truth doesn't change how I feel about you," Lucas promised but he still didn't move any closer.

"Then why won't you come near me?" she asked in an even voice.

Brooke was tired of crying. Tired of hurting.

"Because if I do, I'll want to wrap my arms around you and never let go," he declared, surprising and silencing Brooke at once. "And that scares the hell out of me," Lucas admitted. Digging his hands inside his pockets, he stared down at the carpet, unsure about what he should do next.

"Why does it scare you?" Brooke asked in a small voice, just as he had asked her the same question on the beach that night when he asked her to trust him.

"Because I'm sixteen," Lucas answered honestly. "Because you're the first girl I've ever dated. Because I'm not supposed to understand or even know what it feels like and yet somehow I fell so far deep in love with you. And I want to protect you but I know you don't want that and because I want to break this guy… but I know I shouldn't. And because when I look at you, I feel everything that I've never felt before."

Closing his eyes, Lucas shook his head at himself for the poor way he had just blurted things out.

Pulling his hands from his pockets, he walked up to the bed where Brooke sat and knelt down before her. He found tears in her eyes. A beautiful shade of hazel that had followed his movements, staring intently into his blue gaze. Gently, Lucas brushed them away with the pads of his fingers. "Don't cry, pretty girl," he said quietly. One of the last things he ever wanted was to make her cry. "I'm sorry," Lucas added and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close because it was what he had wanted to do all along. "I should have said it better but… it is the truth. I love you, Brooke."

She cried a little, admitting, "I was scared you wanted to break up with me." He held her closer. The words didn't offend him because Lucas knew that it wasn't because she didn't have faith in him, but because she didn't have faith in herself. "Sometimes I _do_ wish you could protect me from my past. From all of it. I just… I know that I have to find some way through it myself."

Cupping her face gently between his hands, Lucas kissed her softly.

"Just so you know," he whispered against her lips. "You don't always have to do it alone."

-----

After the emotionally exhausting afternoon she had, the last thing Brooke Davis should have been was happy. But somehow she was. Lucas was in love with her and the impulse to call Peyton and ramble on about it had never been greater. Then all too suddenly she realized it was out of the question. Outside of cheerleading practice, neither had made an effort to talk since the day of their fight.

It was almost as if their friendship never existed.

So instead she contemplated calling Haley. Granted they weren't anywhere close to being best friends but their friendship was steadily growing each day. Plus there was no one who knew Lucas better so whatever Brooke said to her would definitely be safe with Haley James.

Uncertainly, she dialed the girl's number and listened to three rings before a voice answered. "Please don't tell me that you're calling to say I now have a date with Tim to the Winter Formal," Haley greeted without preamble. "Because I swear, Brooke if you did…"

"Lucas is in love with me," she blurted out suddenly.

"I'll totally… wait, what?" On her end, Haley shook her head, trying to decide whether or not she'd heard Brooke correctly.

"Lucas told me that he loves me," she repeated slowly. "And I wanted to share it with someone because it almost seems too good to be true." Softening, Haley listened to her friend's brief explanation, all the while silently glad that Lucas finally worked up the courage to admit his feelings. It had been inside of him for a while but he was scared to voice it out loud.

Strangely, in some ways he and Brooke were just as insecure as each other.

She was afraid that her past would always be around to bite her in the ass whenever things were going good. Lucas, on the other hand, wasn't from Brooke's world. He had grown up on the outside and feared that maybe she'd see their differences as being too big of an obstacle. Even though to him, those differences were what made their relationship that much better. "I know that you're more of Lucas' friend than mine but Haley… when I heard him say the words I felt like my heart sped up and stopped beating all at once," she admitted quietly. "I know it doesn't make much sense but it's the only way I can describe it, you know?"

"Do you love him?" But Brooke didn't have a chance to respond before Haley asked her to hold on for a few moments. "Come in," she called out in answer to the knock on her door. "Nathan? What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting at the library later."

"I know but I thought that maybe we could talk a little," he said nervously, shoving his hands in his pockets as he stood waiting for her to invite him further in or reject him completely.

Hesitance written plainly on her face, Haley picked up the phone and said, "I'm really sorry but I have to go. Can we talk about it some more later?" she asked, unaware that Brooke had heard and recognized her visitor's voice.

"Sure thing, tutor girl," she agreed easily. A small smile had turned up the corners of her lips as she hung up the phone and flopped back against her bed. Haley's question lingered in her mind, repeating itself over and again. _Did she love Lucas?_ Of course she did but the timing to say it just hadn't been right. Brooke didn't want him to think she was only parroting his words back at him because of how understanding he had been.

When she said it, she wanted him to know that it was what she felt in her heart.

So she waited, hoping that until then, Lucas knew how much she cared.

-----

"Talk about what?" Haley asked, shifting nervously on the bed as Nathan closed the door.

"Us," Nathan said simply.

"Us?"

She sounded so tentative, unknowingly assuring Nathan that he was making the right decision. "Yeah… the whole tutoring thing," he clarified. "My grades are basically where they should be so I figured you're off the hook," he shrugged, appearing unconcerned. "So thanks… you know, for helping."

One way or another, Nathan knew that he had to do something about his crush. He just wasn't sure which direction was best. But that had changed after practice when Lucas waited in the gym's weight room to talk. Nathan figured it had something to do with Brooke since he had correctly guessed that she intended to tell his half brother about her initiation into the group. What he hadn't expected was the punch his older brother landed on his face.

He had been angry but before Nathan could strike back, Lucas yelled at him for not protecting Brooke.

Excuses came pouring from the younger brother's mouth, momentarily forgetting about the punch as he tried to explain that there was nothing he could have done. He was nobody then. Just a freshman. A small fish trying to make it in a big pond. But while he didn't understand it, Nathan couldn't deny the shame he felt when Lucas kept yelling.

"_How the hell could you keep that stupid game going after what they did to Brooke?" he had all but demanded. "You really are Dan's son. Just a heartless bastard who doesn't care about anyone or anything but his status."_

The words stung and for the first time Nathan acknowledged how screwed up his own life was.

With that acceptance came the realization that acting on his crush would only bring Haley into a world she didn't belong in. Not to mention that he believed she would never forgive him if she found out he slept with her sister Taylor. Initiation or not… it wouldn't matter. She would still end up hurt.

"Wait," she called out when he shifted his stance, ready to walk away. She wasn't thinking about much, only that if she didn't ask, she'd always wonder what if. "Would you… would you go with me? To the Winter Formal, I mean."

His eyes widened, the only outward sign of his surprise.

"Me?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, well there's no one else in the room," Haley said, laughing uncomfortably as she attempted to lighten the mood.

"I um…" he trailed off. Nathan knew he should say no. He opened his mouth again, prepared to say the word but his lips formed another response. "Okay." And once it was out there, he couldn't take it back. He didn't want to because he realized that it was his only chance to show her that he wasn't a complete jerk before walking away completely. Suddenly that seemed more important than all the guilt he felt inside. "We can… you know, we can go as friends," he added and cleared his throat self consciously when Haley merely nodded.

"Right. Of course," she said. "Friends."

"Friends," Nathan repeated. "Right."

-----

"Hey, boyfriend. How was… practice, what happened to your hand?" Brooke asked while she reached for his hand. Gently skimming her fingers over his knuckles, she winced because of the small areas of pushed back skin. "Luke?" Concern clouded her features as she looked up at him, questioning. She had already showered and changed for the night, dressed in a pair of baggy plaid pajama pants that she had taken from him a couple weeks before. The white tank top she sported was tight fitted and left little to the imagination.

"Skinned it in the weight room after practice," Lucas answered, deciding to leave out the way it happened.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not so much anymore," he said quietly.

Smiling a small smile, she leaned down and gently pressed her lips against the injured area. "Better?"

"It's getting there."

"Yeah… I know what you mean."

With her parents absent once again, the two were all alone in the house. The silence was everywhere as they looked at each other, both with so much to say and no idea how to say it. "Do you mind if I stay for a while? My and mom and Keith are going to a banquet tonight," Lucas explained, almost loathsome to disturb the quiet. "The Small Business Association or something like that."

"Only if you agree to come lay down with me for a while," Brooke negotiated, kinking her brow questioningly.

"Deal, pretty girl."

He followed Brooke upstairs to her bedroom, but she stopped him before he could sit down on the bed. "Price of admission," she said. "I want to feel your skin next to mine."

"Brooke…"

"Same girl, Lucas. I'm still me and I still want _you_." Her gaze was unwavering, giving him the chance to see the seriousness in their depths. With slow, unhurried movements she pushed the baggy pants down her legs so that they pooled on the carpet around her ankles. "That's one for me. Now it's your turn," she said and waited, watching as he finally reached for the hem of his t-shirt. Inch by inch, his skin was revealed. Perfectly sculpted abs leading up to a wide chest and muscular arms. "Impressive," she smiled and slowly began to lift her thin shirt.

Halfway up, Lucas remembered that she wasn't wearing anything beneath it. But the protest got stuck in his mouth when she lifted the garment completely off and tossed it aside.

Leaning up, she placed a kiss at the base of his neck and his eyes involuntarily closed, enjoying the feather light touch. "You're turn again," she whispered in his ear. Hands flat against his stomach, Brooke trailed them upwards, following each muscular ridge before wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Bodies pressed together, she tried to get as closed as she could once his shorts joined the growing pile of clothes on the floor.

"You're making it really hard to stay strong here," Lucas said while his hands rested lightly against her hips. The lace beneath his palms was like a tease, her final barrier. "And I'd feel like I was taking advantage of you after everything you told me today," he admitted but the words didn't deter Brooke in the least.

"Did you mean it when you said you loved me?" she asked.

His answer was without hesitation. "With all my heart."

"Good. Then kiss me."


End file.
